《Dawn of Pangea》


 Chapter 1 - Spark

    I crept forward through the branches under the blanket of the night, taking utmost care to avoid rustling noises. Outfitted with military-grade gear, the squad of three in front of me approached our target.


    The mission was simple; infiltrate, secure our target and eliminate all hindrances.


    We were hidden behind the final span of trees, beyond which was a graveyard of stumps spanning fifteen meters in every direction from our target. Several floodlights pierced through the darkness, scanning sporadically in a set pattern.


    ¡°Now.¡±


    Eagle hushed into his comms and we started advancing, mindful of the floodlights should they suddenly veer into our direction. He was the best sniper alive and currently tasked with watching our back as we progressed inside. Positioned atop a tree with a ghillie suit, he surveyed the place for several days without motion. The enemy¡¯s patterns, shifts, rotations, everything was memorized by him.


    ¡®Man did he not want to do it¡­¡¯


    ********


    I strolled through the countless hallways towards the room reserved for us. Given charge with completing the mission, I assembled a small squad of four of the most reliable people I knew. All of which should be waiting for me inside the briefing room.


    The location of this base was as remote as it could be, but the lack of natural lighting really ruined it for me. Should something go south, there were limited escape options and in situations where those get blocked off, I would be trapped underground.


    The interior was the equivalent as all the other locations. Bright, gray, metallic walls lined the sides, with pillars installed every so often to support the weight. The only source of light were fluorescent tubes spanning the ceiling.


    Yet despite the simplicity, the walls were packed with sensors, hidden cameras and turrets that would appear at a moment¡¯s notice.


    Room thirty-four was the next one on my right. Pressing my thumb against the glass panel, an artificial voice rang out,


    [Cato R. Access Granted.]


    The doors slid open and I promptly walked into the cigarette-filled room to see Braun and James having an arm-wrestling match. I took my pen out and whipped it straight at Braun, the likely cause of this scene. James leapt out of his chair and swiped the pen from the air. His chair went crashing to the ground.


    ¡°Come now Cato, let them finish.¡±


    I let out a deep sigh and paced myself to the front of the room.


    ¡®Best or not, they are still a bunch of fools.¡¯


    At least Eagle was busy reading a book thick enough to bludgeon someone to death with. It was also about some quan-astro-physi-science thingy I couldn¡¯t even pronounce. Picking up a small remote I started the lecture,


    ¡°Alright, our objective is of the simpler kind. Infiltrate a building, capture the leader and wipe out his group. Clean sweep, no witnesses, no mess, a simple job.¡±


    The fools stared attentively once I spoke up. The hologram flickered and started looping a segment of a certain recording our scout team had acquired.


    ¡°The people there are all inexperienced with mediocre weaponry and abilities, a bunch of hired goons. Overall this mission is a joke. However, the fact persists that they acquired weaponry of unknown origin and hid its existence from the Organisation.¡±


    Everyone had a mixture of confusion on their face as they watched the replay. It flipped between a man instantaneously combusting, and another being encapsulated in ice.


    ¡°As such, we were tasked with the mission to complete it without fail. Eagle, you will observe the enemy for two days prior to our advance. We will begin at ¡®o-two hundred¡¯ sharp, any questions?¡±


    Only Braun lifted his hand,


    ¡°Yes Braun?¡± I asked.


    ¡°What about the layout of the building, location, and other info?¡±


    ¡°All synced to your accounts, because of the place being a backwater washup, not much is known. But anything of importance was provided to us. Anything else?¡±


    I scanned around the room but just one was waving his hand energetically.


    ¡°Good, dismissed. Eagle you can begin immediately.¡±


    ¡°Hey wait...you! Why are you ignoring me for?¡± Eagle rebutted.


    ¡°You know there is no need for me to sit in a tree for that long when the enemy is so incompetent!¡± He slammed the desk.


    ¡°You¡¯ll do it because I said so.¡±


    Eagle narrowed his eyes,


    ¡°Why... you-¡±


    ¡°There must be no chance of us failing the mission, and there is no one more skilled at sniping or analyzing the enemy other than you. You should know that well.¡±


    I watched as Eagle crossed his arms and dejectedly replied,


    ¡°...Fine.¡±


    ********


    Despite being a low building filled with inexperienced people, they had access to a strange form of weaponry the Organisation was not aware of. As such, our group was tasked with the mission. We took all the normal precautions knowing the price we may pay otherwise.


    ¡®Ten meters left.¡¯


    I motioned my hand and the other three got close together, we needed to make ourselves as small of a target as possible. We advanced several more steps-


    ¡°Stop.¡±


    All of us halted at Eagle¡¯s command, no questions asked. I looked over at the roof, one of the sentries appeared over the railing and glanced in our direction. His outline was clearly visible against the moonlight behind him. Tensing my muscles, I prepared to sprint to the building if he had noticed us.


    We held our breath... the sentry disappeared from sight. Still there was no command from Eagle. A few more minutes dragged on, a single floodlight came threateningly close to us. We would have been lit up brighter than a Christmas tree had we kept going.


    ¡°All clear.¡±


    With a light sigh, I resumed command and led us closer to the side of the metal-sheeted building.


    ¡®Ten meters.¡¯If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡®Five meters.¡¯


    ¡®We¡¯re here.¡¯


    We made it to the side of the rectangular building. Moreover, this place was a blindspot for the sentries and floodlights. Coupled with a particularly large window above, it made for the perfect point of entry.


    Without uttering a word, James took out his hook and threw it upwards which landed in the centre of the windowsill. A quiet drilling sound came as it burrowed into the metal. Unless someone was intentionally listening for it, they wouldn¡¯t notice anything.


    He gave the rope a quick tug and started climbing, followed by Charlie and James then me.


    [I scanned the window and the room, no signs of traps or electricity. Seems like their security is far more lax than we thought.]


    James spoke across the ear-comm. I smacked him across the head, motioned for him to shut up and proceed forward. From what the building¡¯s blueprints told us, the place was constructed of two floors, each had a central hallway running from one side to the other, from which smaller hallways branched off. These had rooms on either side of them.


    The only way up or down were three staircases, one in the middle and one each on the far ends. James and I would sweep through the second floor while Braum and Charlie took the bottom one. Since we entered from the side of the building, the west staircase was one door from our location.


    There weren¡¯t any guards or patrols in our vicinity and with a single thumbs up, we splitted. The layout offered little cover, we could be spotted from the other side of the main hallway, blowing stealth out of the water.


    As such, we proceeded clearing small packets of rooms with caution - one at a time. James would open the door and I stepped inside first, pistol on top and knife under it at the ready. The first couple were empty, but the fourth one had a single room with two people in it.


    It was one of the few that was locked, nothing that a specialized drill couldn¡¯t get through. The two guys inside slept through the silent whizzing noise, a sign of unskilled mercenaries or whatever they were. Without making a single sound, nor even breathing, James and I took out one each, covered their mouths and slit their throats. The blood stained their sheets but we were long gone before their bodies even began cooling down.


    From the activity Eagle observed over the two days, there is always about about ten people inside this building, which was confirmed to be the case today from the thermal camera. If we ignore the two on sentry duty, then there should be two more people on this floor, assuming they are evenly distributed.


    I turned my ear-comm on and off twice to signify the two kills we made for Charlie and Braun. We covered half of the top floor when my ear-comm went off and on twice. Charlie and Braun must have found two more sleeping.


    That left about-


    Footsteps.


    James and I were stalking down both sides of the central hallway and were just about to clear the two hallways branching off when we heard someone¡¯s footsteps. I readied my gun.


    The person drew closer and one of his feet emerged from around the corner. I kicked it upwards with my own foot, breaking his balance and sending him falling on his back. However, before he could hit the ground I cleared the corner, pushed my hand on his mouth and plunged my knife into his throat. Not wanting to take out my knife and leave a giant blood trail, I snapped the man¡¯s neck.


    The takedown was silent. No noise of a body collapsing and my pistol¡¯s fall was stopped by James as he caught it mid-air. He cleared one of the rooms from the hallway the man came from and I hid the body there.


    Only once the body was out of sight did I retrieve my knife. Wiping it on the victim¡¯s clothes, I turned the comms on then off to signify another kill.


    ¡°Ten minutes.¡±


    Eagle¡¯s voice came across a minute later, warning how much longer we have before sentry duty was switched. Seeing the ease of the mission James and I picked up our pace. We encountered one more person who was too far to reach by knife. Having no other option I drew out my pistol and let out a single shot, the recoil was dispersed by flexing my arms. A dull pop sound came but due to the fixed silencer and the lack of any sensors, no alarm went off.


    Anyone on the floor directly below the body might have heard the noise, I turned on the comm.


    ¡°Body fell.¡±


    That would be enough to warn Charlie and Braun to proceed with caution. While I did so, James went ahead and dragged the body into a hallway, a slight trail of red was left behind, but it mattered little as we had a quarter of the path left.


    The two of us checked the remaining hallways and as we were opening the last room, chk, chk. The ear-comm was toggled two times.


    ¡°Bottom floor cleared, heading up eastern stairs.¡±


    Charlie¡¯s voice came from the ear-comm.


    ¡°Got it, clearing the last room.¡±


    I responded while James opened a door for me once more. Storming inside, there was no one there.


    ¡°Eagle, feel free to take out the sentries now, there¡¯s only the boss left.¡±


    I notified him, his ear-piece was still turned on,


    Bap...Bap


    ¡°Sorry, forgot to turn it off.¡±


    ¡®Yeah right.¡¯ The guy left his comm on while shooting on purpose.


    ¡®Why even bother?¡¯


    Being about five meters from the eastern stairs, I heard the door creak open and raised my gun.


    It was Charlie and Braun. The four of us grouped up and stood before the final room, where an entire hallway should be. Out of habit, James tried to twist the knob and found it unlocked. With a quick side-to-side motion we split up once more and stood two on each side of the door.


    James leaned over and nudged it open without exposing himself. No sooner had the door opened halfway than a giant fireball came flying out. Expecting something of the sort we threw in two flashbangs, the first to mask the second.


    After the second explosion went off we stormed the room. Inside was a single man seated behind a black, metallic desk. He was clutching some sort of stone in his left hand while panting.


    ¡°You better put that stone down and put your hands on your head!¡±


    Braun shouted at the man dressed in casual jeans and blue-striped t-shirt. Scanning the room we advanced forward with caution, Braun never took his gun off him.


    Finding nothing,


    ¡°Eagle you can come inside. Target secured.¡±


    I transmitted across the ear-comm.


    ¡°Already am, coming up the stairs as we speak!¡±


    He shouted back.


    ¡°Why did you abandon post!?¡±


    ¡°Please, we both know nothing else will happen.¡±


    I turned off the ear-piece and faced the man,


    ¡°You speak English?¡±


    A curt nod came.


    ¡°Good, then why don¡¯t you tell me how you just shot that fireball?¡±


    The man¡¯s pupils went wide and brow grew covered in sweat.


    ¡°I-I-¡¯m not sure. One day I find this stone in forest, it look odd so I picked it up. After carry it for one day, I pass out. A-a friend find me asleep in the forest and bring me to his house. A man you probably killed earlier.¡±


    I punched him in the face with a bit of force.


    ¡°You did not answer my question.¡±


    I replied with a calm voice, waiting for the man to get up.


    ¡°Hey Cato, see you got started already. What¡¯s with the rock?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t know, this guy says it has something to do with... what you called mahgik or something.¡±


    I didn¡¯t turn to look at Eagle who came flying through the door.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind if I do a bit of experimenting on it then!¡±


    He replied in the cheerful tone that he uses whenever something catches his attention. Despite his fanatics he knows better than to cause any damage outside a designated laboratory.


    I glanced over at the shaking target,


    ¡°Well, you going to talk or not?¡±


    ¡°I-I dunno! After I wake I saw my friend cook something on a fire. At that moment something clicked inside my head, I...I focused some energy inside my hand and a small fireball came out.¡±


    I walked around the table, grabbed him by the collar and lifted him off his feet.


    ¡°Really? So you just focused some energy, did you?¡±


    ¡°I s-swear! That¡¯s all I know. Let go! Please!¡±


    The darker skinned man wriggled against my grasp and flailed around. I slammed him against the table, picked him up by the neck, and smashed his face against the wall. A loud bang rang across the room from the impact. Small chance he didn¡¯t just get a concussion and a broken rib or two.


    ¡°Hey captain, I connected the wires to my laptop but need you to give me permission, so that in case I break it you take the blame.¡±


    I looked over at Eagle,


    ¡°And will it?¡±


    Eagle jerked his head to the side,


    ¡°Well no, but-¡±


    ¡°Then go ahead.¡±


    As soon as Eagle pressed a single button my vision was filled with a white light.


    Right away my body started burning, freezing, screaming in protest to the pain flowing through every inch of my skin.


    I tried to look at it but couldn¡¯t see anything through the white veil - as if I was staring at a whiteout.

 Chapter 2 - Fresh Page In An Old Book

    I opened my eyes, only to be greeted by darkness. Something was weighing down on me. When I brought my arms upwards they were stopped short by some sort of fabric. Applying more pressure on the material only led to it tugging from underneath. ¡®Am I inside a sack?¡¯


    ¡®Were we ambushed?¡¯


    No, I doubt that. There weren¡¯t any enemy units around us, in fact, we secured the entire perimeter¡­. regardless,


    ¡®I need to find a way out of here.¡¯


    Groping around in the darkness I found a separation in the cloth. Seeing the possible method of escape, I gripped two sections on either side of the seam, one in each hand, and pulled. There was little resistance as the material parted and freed me from my stiflingly-dark prison.


    Accustomed to the pitch-black darkness from before, the sudden brightness burned my eyes. I shut my eyelids until my eyes adjusted. About a minute later the pain passed and I could Iook around without a problem.


    My sight was filled with lush, green grass followed by rows upon rows of trees ahead, packed so densely that it was impossible to see beyond ten meters or so. A refreshing breeze flew around my body, interrupting my train of thought. I could feel it all over...


    ¡®What the-¡¯.


    Mini me was far smaller, not even comparable to before, and there was no hair! Completely bewildered, I started inspecting my own body.


    Lifting and touching my arms I confirmed that there was no visible outline of biceps or triceps, the same goes for my core and legs. I was like a newborn, flat and skinny. Was my life¡¯s work erased as if it was nothing?


    After closer inspection I realized that the supposed sack I was in was actually my clothes, clothes that were now several sizes too big!


    ¡®Did I get smaller? No, no. That can¡¯t be. Nevermind that, what happened? Where is everyone?¡¯


    A deep breath.


    I reached for the button on my earpiece and enabled comms.


    ¡°Squad Umbra, do you copy?¡± A nerve-wracking silence followed,


    ¡°Eagle are you there? Over.¡± I did not receive a response, something was wrong, very, very wrong.


    ¡°Charlie, James, Braun! Do you read me?¡± I frantically called out to my group to my group to no avail. ¡°Is anyone there?!¡±


    ¡®Just what the hell happened?¡¯


    Kcrrrr


    Static. No response. Cold sweat formed on the back of my neck as the defenceless situation filled me with a sense of dread.


    ¡®First, arm myself, second, explore the surroundings and confirm my position.¡¯ No point in going around panicking.


    Sticking to my plan, I squatted down and felt around my shirt trying to find the pistol. My hand came across a cold surface,


    ¡®Good it¡¯s still there.¡¯


    Grasping the gun I performed a three hundred-and-sixty degree turn to further analyze my surroundings.


    My little twirl revealed a little more than my initial observation. I was in the middle of a grassy clearing, surrounded by trees roughly twenty meters tall, with a small underbrush circling the perimeter.


    Spotting two more piles of clothes on the other side of the clearing, I approached them with caution, gun at the ready. After taking several steps I noticed movement underneath one of the piles, which can now be made out as military gear similar to my own. Instinctively, I froze, raised my gun and took aim. The pile of clothes slowly parted and a figure emerged.


    ¡°Eagle!¡± I shouted, relieved to see someone from my squad,


    ¡°Do you know what happened or where anyone else is?¡±


    I asked him a barrage of questions that he left unanswered. His gray hair served as the only indication that the boy staring at me dumbfounded was Eagle.


    ¡°C-captain is that you?¡±


    He asked, pointing at me and squinting as if trying to make out the individual hairs on my body.


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s me, who else?¡±


    I asked the now shaking Eagle.


    ¡®Why is he shaking?¡¯


    I closely observed him as he silently looked around before breaking into a wide grin and began laughing uncontrollably.


    ¡°Hahaha- This, this is a prank, right?¡±


    Eagle attempted to play off our situation as some sort of prank, a twisted joke. Holding his stomach to try and catch his breath, a blur of movement came from the last pile of clothes. Cocking and raising my pistol in one fluid motion I took aim in Eagle¡¯s direction.


    ¡°Hahaha¡­huh?¡±


    Eagle¡¯s face turned grim, shock plastered all over his face.


    ¡°C-captain, what are you doing?¡±


    Eagle asked with worry leaking from his voice.


    ¡°You have three seconds to take three steps backwards and kneel, or your head will suddenly become a lot lighter.¡± I ordered and began counting,


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t shoot¡­¡±


    ¡°One¡­¡±


    ¡°Your friend¡­¡±


    ¡°Two¡­¡±Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡°Would y-¡±


    ¡°Three!¡±


    I shouted whilst pulling the trigger and watched as the blood began to flow. The pistol¡¯s recoil quickly spread through my arm and I flexed my muscles to help disperse the shock. Despite my body being nearly half the size of my old one, I was able to handle the recoil almost perfectly.


    Eagle spared no time in jumping to the side in order to distance himself from the attacker,


    ¡°Thanks, but there was no need to get blood all over the place, I could¡¯ve handled him myself just fine.¡±


    Eagle reprimanded me for saving his life.


    ¡°And how were you going to accomplish that? You look like a child fresh out of kindergarten.¡±


    I retorted back.


    ¡°As if you¡¯re any better. You resemble a chef¡¯s cutting board given legs, arms more than a normal child, with those scars running across your skinny body.¡±


    Eagle snapped back and turned towards the guy who took him hostage. He was a child same as us, his face was contorted in pain. I took a good look at it. It was a child, much like us, yet there were visible scars and unnatural blemishes showing age and¡­experiences a child wouldn''t have gone through.


    Possessing no idea who the person was, I pondered,


    ¡®Why is he here, and where is everyone else?¡¯


    ¡°You know him?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No clue, tie him up?¡± He answered back.


    ¡°Yeah, then you and I will have to talk.¡± I responded and both of us got to work.


    Pulling a rope out of the pile of clothes, its loop went from my shoulder all the way down to my waist - once more reminding me of my body¡¯s small size. Throwing it over my shoulder, I walked towards our captive and started tying him up while Eagle made sure he didn¡¯t try anything as a final resort.


    I took extra care to make sure that his elbows, knees and feet were securely tied. Having him escape would mean the loss of our only clue as to what had happened. Satisfied with my knots, I checked on the stranger¡¯s injury, searching for a hole on the backside of his shoulder.


    ¡®Good, it¡¯s there.¡¯


    ¡°Eagle, could you rip some pieces of his clothes to tie around his wound, we need to stop his bleeding, the bullet went through. Can¡¯t have him dying just yet.¡±


    I said, casually giving the order, pointing at the blue clothes the guy jumped out of.


    Eagle went over to the stranger¡¯s pile, ripped several strips off and used a few of them to wipe the blood off his body. Finished, he approached me and passed the remaining clean strips.


    Outstretching my arm to receive the strips of cloth, I carefully wrapped it over and under the man¡¯s shoulder. By the time I finished, the kid fell quiet, most likely unconscious.


    ¡°Must have passed out.¡± Eagle commented, ¡®as if I didn¡¯t see that¡¯.


    ¡°Anyways, do you have any idea what¡¯s going on?¡± I asked seriously.


    ¡°No clue, but my best bet is that we are far away from our previous position, as to how we¡¯re transported, yeah, not sure. I checked the compass while you were patching him up, well¡­ look at it yourself because I threw mine away.¡±


    As Eagle said that, he pointed over his shoulder with his thumb at a patch of underbrush located along the edge of the clearing. Intrigued, I shuffled over to my own camo gear and knelt down. Reaching for the the pocket where the compass should be-


    ¡®Hot!¡¯


    I immediately jerked my hand backwards, away from the unexpected heat.


    ¡°You OK?¡±


    I heard Eagle asked me from behind, a low chuckle accompanying the question.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡± I answered right back.


    Clenching my teeth I brought my hand back to the burning button and fumbled as I tried to open it. A strange whirring noise came from inside after I opened the pocket. I reached in and quickly pulled out the compass to observe it. My hand was pounding as it was being cooked by the compass, almost as hot as a cup of coffee, but I continued to stare in amazement. The needle was spinning faster than the eye can perceive, in fact, I¡¯m willing to bet that the heat was caused by the friction of the needle spinning.


    ¡®Just what is going on?¡¯


    Coming back to my senses, I dropped the compass and looked at my hand, it was now tinted red and a slight imprint was left where the compass once was.


    ¡°Just perfect. We need to find shelter but can¡¯t even tell North from South.¡±


    Regardless, it was crucial that we find out more about our environment before making further decisions. Perhaps there was an area-wide EMF around here and we weren¡¯t as far from our original locations as Eagle predicted. I began to formulate a plan when my thoughts were interrupted.


    ¡°So Captain-¡±


    ¡°Eagle, that¡¯s enough. The only reason I''m above you in rank is because of my higher body count. And even then, that''s due to your position as the top sniper - taking out otherwise impossible key objectives and targets instead of raiding bases and gangs. Besides, no need to pretend here.¡± I interrupted Eagle, tired of being called something I never was.


    Recollecting my thoughts, I started pacing around, thinking of a plan of action.


    ¡°Fair enough, so what are we going to do now? I mean our situation is pretty messed up. A dream perhaps?¡± Eagle voiced his concerns.


    ¡°No, definitely not a dream, you can go ahead and shoot yourself to confirm it. The sensation of shooting my own gun assured me of that. As for the rest. I don¡¯t know.¡±


    I took a deep breath and looked around.


    ¡°I mean we are in a place where compasses go crazy, in bodies of children, no memory of how we got here or the person who had you hostage.¡± I recalled everything that has happened so far and noticed a strange glint in Eagle¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°You know, if I didn¡¯t know better then I¡¯d say that we got teleported into an alternate world. Perhaps with magic, and special skills, and gods, and heroes, and devils, and monsters and, and, an-¡° Eagle got overly excited and went off into his own little world while listing all the possibilities on his fingers.


    ¡°What the hell are you talking about, ¡®and magic and monsters¡¯? Explain yourself!¡± I demanded with an ice-cold tone, perhaps something was done to our brains without our knowledge in which case we are in deep shit.


    Paying complete attention to what he said and listening for any discrepancies in case we were brainwashed and a part of some twisted experiment.


    Eagle¡¯s cheeks turned pinkish hue and he looked in my direction but his gaze not focused.


    ¡°I-I like to read comics in my pastime and our situation kind of reminds me of those stories, I never told you guys this because I knew this would be the reaction¡­¡± Eagle looked down at his feet and mumbled. I could barely made out what he said.


    I let out a sigh and spoke up,


    ¡°The top sniper and recon agent is getting embarrassed over something most of us had guessed anyway. Listen, I don¡¯t care what it is you do for you outside of work as long as it''s legal.¡±


    Eagle looked up with surprise,


    ¡°Seriously, you guys kne- Wait, how did you guys....?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not worry about that, instead go put on your shirt, it should mostly cover you up.¡±


    I cut him off, told him to get somewhat dressed and followed suit.


    ¡°Anyways, tell me, what is the last thing you remember?¡±


    I asked him across the clearing..


    ¡°Hmm, we were about to infiltrate that building. I was located ninety degrees from it compared to your position, watching your back...then nothing. Except for a white light. A really bright light¡±


    Eagle turned towards me as he finished throwing on his shirt. I just finished putting on my own but it was far too large,


    ¡®I¡¯ll take it compared to just flopping around naked.¡¯


    ¡°Alright, seems like we remember the same thing.¡± Pausing, I formulated my earlier plan into words,


    ¡°Climb the nearby trees, have a look around and explore the area to the left. I will explore the area to our right. In case of an emergency or the comms malfunction, we will use a gunshot to signal a regroup back here. The comms are to be used sparingly, I don¡¯t know when we will be able to get new batteries. Questions?¡± I gave out the hefty order and awaited a response.


    ¡°If I should encounter people?¡± Eagle asked.


    ¡°Observe, but under no circumstance should you reveal your position.¡± I replied.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t resorting to gunshots alert anyone to our positions?¡± Eagle pointed out as he gestured with hands at our surroundings.


    "That is true, but it is also true that there is just no way we will be able to find each other in an unknown location, what will we say? I am by the 25th tree from the first two, below our clothes?¡± I responded with an exaggeration,


    ¡°Moreover, the gun is to be used in a situation where your life is at stake. By the time anyone alerted by it comes to investigate, you should be long gone. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Roger.¡± Eagle confirmed with a short nod.


    ¡°Good, we will meet up at dusk.¡± I finished the order,


    ¡°Or we find ourselves tired and unable to continue.¡± I added while beckoning at my body.


    Eagle gave me a confused look and looked downwards,


    ¡°Right, in bodies of children, totally forgot about that. Somehow it just doesn¡¯t feel like it, more like everything got bigger.¡± I tried to decipher what nonsense Eagle spewed before completely ignoring it.


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s time to depart.¡± I took a final look around our clearing before heading out, pistol in hand.

 Chapter 3 - Why Hello There!

    ¡®First things first: it is crucial to confirm whether or not our immediate surroundings are safe and secure. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve done any recon missions, so, how should I go about this?¡¯


    I contemplated the issue to myself while walking forwards through the underbrush. I suppose taking a three pronged approach wouldn¡¯t be so bad. Walk for half an hour, return, then walk for another half an hour at a thirty degree angle from the previous path.


    Having decided on a plan, I took short but confident strides through the lush forest. Leaving the clearing behind, I stepped into a single shadow casted by the sheer density of the overarching branches and their leaves.


    The sudden darkness and unfamiliarity assured me that letting my guard slip could very well be lethal. While keeping track of the number of trees passed, I noticed a small section of a thicket flattened and some small twigs snapped. Taking careful steps I approached the thicket, leaned down and inspected it in greater detail. These were tracks, very reminiscent of human ones except the shoe didn¡¯t have any pattern on it, just a flat surface. The mud was fresh enough to stick to my fingers. We¡¯re not alone.


    Glancing around I spotted more snapped twigs and footprints a couple of paces to my left. Completely tuned in with my surroundings I resumed taking careful steps forward. The entire forest¡¯s atmosphere turned bleak, the droning of bugs died out and trees with claw marks gouged out of them became more numerous.


    At first I assumed the marks to be left by a dominant bear, but as I passed more and more of them, what grabbed my attention was their size.


    ¡®Those aren¡¯t ordinary claw marks, no way in hell!¡¯


    My heart lurched as I put my arm next to one of the marks for comparison. It ran as deep as my out stretched hand, fingers included, as wide as my curled fist and spanned from one side of the tree¡¯s bark to the other.


    ¡®These aren¡¯t markings that a normal animal leaves behind. Just what could it be?¡¯


    My heart rate increased as an ominous aura crept down a path from my left. The trail of destruction that could only be accomplished by a miniature hurricane. Branches were thrown everywhere, patches of dirt and grass splattered all over. Trees, both young and old, uprooted.


    ¡®What kind of creature could¡¯ve caused this?¡¯ I wracked my brain trying to remember the details of the mission briefing¡­


    [Flashback]


    ¡°The meeting will now begin¡± announced Ignatius.


    Immediately the murmur died down and all attention became fixated on the speaker. There were several men seated around the table, each head of their respective sections in the agency. Ignatius continued,


    ¡°A small time gang leader has managed to recruit several dozen fully armed men in order to take control of his own town. We have already sent a rookie reconnaissance squad to infiltrate their hideout and report back their findings- Hey, are you listening!?¡± Ignatius raised his voice sharply.


    CRASH!


    ¡®Tch¡­ My nap got interrupted¡¯.


    Slowly, I raised myself and scanned the room. Everyone''s gazes were now focused on me, some sneering, others showing complete anger. However, no one spoke a word against me. Looking down, I picked up the chair that I was previously attempting to balance on with three legs off of the marble ground.


    ¡°Yea, yea, I¡¯m listening¡±, I responded while sitting down and doing my best not to fall asleep again.


    I looked up at the fluorescent lighting on the ceiling,


    ¡®Why am I even here?¡¯


    To take out a handful of men was no more than a practice mission for even our most novice members.


    ¡°As I was saying, our the reconnaissance squad was sent out, of which, only three returned.¡± Ignatius continued and let the last word hung in the air.


    ¡°Excuse me sir, could we know the name of the squad who carried out this order? Just as a confirmation.¡± An unknown voice spoke out.


    ¡°It was the Umbra squad¡¯s leader along with new recruits.¡± Ignatius replied.


    I could hear gasps along with the large quantity of air being sucked in surprise, and for a good reason. While I do not bother with the other branches of the organization, there were rumours of that guy¡¯s accomplishments. Ranging from turning completely invisible to infiltrating the personal offices of most, if not every, major nation leaders around the world.


    ¡°Now that everyone understands the importance of this meeting, I will point out the major intel the survivors managed to obtain.¡± Ignatius went on,


    ¡°There were no traps, security cameras or any other sort of devices that can be used to alert of an approaching enemy, only soldiers stationed around the perimeter of the building.¡±


    As Ignatius spoke, I could hear the silent whirring sound as a motor turned to expose a square segment in the middle of the three by two meter desk which we were seated around. A hologram flickered to life and began displaying a video feed.


    ¡°This is a recording of Umbra¡¯s leader, James, during his mission. This footage has been edited to display what words cannot convey.¡±


    Ignatius finished and gestured for us to look at the men creeping forward.


    With my interest piqued at the mention of James, I watched as the squad slowly approached the building. Seeing no danger, they pushed forward through the darkness with their night vision goggles. They took cover behind the final row of trees which surrounded the large two story building. Giving a few hand signals, they emerged out of the trees¡¯ cover and stuck to the shadows created by the few spotlights in order to conceal their approach.


    Just as I was about to voice my concerns of the stale footage, I noticed a lone sentry looking, no, rather staring, straight into the camera from the top of the building. It was covered in metal plates bent in a trapezoid pattern. The distance was roughly 25 metres between the scout squad and the sentry, there was no way he could see them in the pitch-black darkness that encompassed the surroundings.


    ¡°Now I want every single one of you to pay close attention to what is about to happen, for it is of utmost importance, Cato, you especially.¡± Ignatius said in a stern voice while staring straight at me.


    Everyone¡¯s eyes were now focused on the footage before them with renewed interest. The sentry raised his arms, both of which were perpendicular to the rest of his body. Nothing. Nothing happened. The Umbra squad leader decided to continue approaching their destination at a slower pace to avoid attracting attention.


    Just as the camera turned towards the window located on the second floor, a flash of light could be seen flying across the video feed. A blur of motion, James rolled forward to avoid the incoming projectile, as he turned his head to see where it came from-


    ¡°Aghhghh!¡±


    A scream could be heard before it was quickly muffled, then silenced. James frantically spun his head backwards to see the source of the noise. What the hologram failed to convey was the searing heat of the inferno that was engulfing a man behind James.


    ¡°No way.¡±


    ¡°How is that even possible?!¡±


    Everyone at the conference was shocked from the sight before them. I continued to watch the recording.


    POP!


    The burning man was mercilessly and quickly taken out by a fellow member to avoid information leakage as he could no longer be saved and their discovered. James, realizing that their location had been compromised, began to motion with his hands to the rest of the squad to retreat. As they were about to turn and run, James glanced at the rooftop where the projectile came from and saw the lone sentry slumped over the short wall, two more men were standing next to him.


    Realizing the imminent threat, he raised his silenced gun and shot at one of the sentries. The man¡¯s head was violently jerked back and his body could be seen collapsing out of sight. Just as the squad leader was about to take out the other man, another projectile was shot, this time clearly originating from the remaining sentry.


    Its trajectory was completely off from colliding with James and so he fired one more bullet straight into the man¡¯s forehead. He too collapsed in a similar motion. The camera abruptly jerked around only to freeze.


    ¡°H-h-how?¡± I heard someone stutter under their breath.


    There was a bewildered look plastered across multiple faces. Another member was now shaking and clenching his teeth as his feet were frozen to the ground, frostbite seeping into his skin. The ice was rapidly spreading upwards through his body. It was only a short time before he was completely engulfed in it.


    ¡°They¡¯re over there!¡± A booming shout could be heard, the group was now being pursued.


    The man that was being turned into an icicle looked straight at James and gave a final salute. He knew that the end was before him. The man had the option of cracking open the cyanide pill attached to his tooth and taking his own life. However, it was an unspoken code of honour to painlessly kill members of the organisation instead of having them resort to suicide should an opportunity arise.


    As such, James took it upon himself to carry out the task of silently shooting his squadmate. The man began to collapse but the ice, now having made its way past his knees, prevented him from toppling over. Instead his back fell onto the thick grass while his legs remained perfectly stationary. The squad leader looked around and made brief eye contact with the survivors of his squad before breaking off a piece of ice, storing it in his pocket and sprinted towards the forest. The rest followed him.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    [End of Flashback]


    ¡®There was no mention of the recon team encountering a wild beast. Perhaps the sentries from our target¡¯s location are hunting the animals around here¡­¡¯


    ¡®No that doesn¡¯t explain the markings.¡¯


    Shaking my head I decided against returning early and instead pushed on with the investigation.


    Several minutes passed as I jogged through the devastated path, taking care to step over fallen trees, branches and other debris.


    Ouch! A sharp pain shifted my attention to an object threatening to pierce the sole of my foot. Not hesitating for even a second I jumped back and scanned my surroundings.


    Nothing. I looked down to find some dark object protruding from the ground. Taking a step forward I picked up the object that almost led to an injury and possible infection. Rolling the object in my hand I inspected it. It was large, curved, almost thirty cm in length and a dark, nasty mix of brown and black.


    Its shape and overall was that of a claw, but its size made me hesitate. Yet when I thought of the giant claw marks in the trees, the possibility of a huge creature became more and more realistic.


    My stomach was violently shaken as an ear splitting roar passed through the forest. The deepness and sheer volume of the roar eliminated any doubt in my mind of a creature possessing claws three times a tigers¡¯. It was immediately followed by a noise reminiscent of metal striking another metal with unbelievable force. I started sprinting down the desolate path that led towards the source of the noise, the wind rushed past me.


    The trees began to spread further apart letting rays of light pierce into the single shadow-enveloped interior of the forest. A clearing was up ahead.


    Taking care to step over exposed roots and stray branches to avoid making noise I crouched down and took cover behind a thick tree. Peering out into the clearing, its size and shape was the same as the one Eagle and I woke up in.


    I searched for our gear but instead spot toppled and shattered trees littering patches of lush grass.


    A tree devoid of any leaves and leaning at an odd angle caught my eye, I realized that it had fallen into a deep hole. It wasn¡¯t the only one. There were countless such impressions in the ground, like a minefield that had every bomb in it explode, leaving the entire ground desecrated.


    Moving my eyes to the left, a large ash covered creature caught my attention. It must be at least three times my height, with a body etched with bulging muscles. It would easily tower over me with its hunched back and bulky arms that swayed back and forth, reaching just below its knees. On the end of its feet and arms were claws similar to the one I found on the path here.


    ¡®What the fuck is that?¡¯¡¯


    My heart rate started to climb. Despite being completely baffled, I looked over the remaining section of the clearing and saw two people, a knight in full plate armour that was heavily dented in certain spots, a kite-shield and bastard sword in hand.


    ¡®Is this some kind of dress up act...No, that monster is as real is it gets, a new bioweapon? But then why are the people outfitted with melee weapons -¡¯


    ¡®No, were the super soldiers finally created?!¡¯


    The situation grew dire, I need to relay this back to the organisation.


    ¡®I¡¯m not one for jumping to conclusions, but it''s either that, or I¡¯m no longer on Earth.¡¯


    I squinted to inspect the knight¡¯s and could make out countless nicks in his blade, to the point of calling it a saw seemed more fitting. There were also strange enigmas and sigils ingrained into the armour, each glowing in a different colour.


    ¡®The noise from before must have been them clashing¡­¡¯


    The second man was wearing a blue cloth that covered his entire body except for his head. He had straight black hair, slightly wrinkled skin, several scars on his cheek and neck, and out-stretched...ears?


    Intrigued, I decided to watch the scene play out before me.


    ¡±!htomeheB eht fo wonk dliug eht tel dna taerter ot evah eW.¡°


    ¡±.detalihinna eb lliw woleb egalliv eht neht taht od ew fI.¡°


    They¡¯re shouting in a strange language, not one I have heard before yet strangely familiar. The men were standing about a dozen paces from the creature that was now cradling side to side.


    ¡±-taerter ew setunim owt ni nwod ti ekat t¡¯nac ew fi ,setunim owT .deyortsed era stnemtnahcne ruomra ym fo tsom ,regnol hcum tsal ot elba eb t''now eW !gnimoc s¡¯ti ,tihS¡°


    ¡¯They¡¯re going to fight that thing with only a sword?¡¯


    The knight tensed up and lowered his stance. I changed my focus to the creature, it stopped moving, its arms hanging limply in front of its legs. Suddenly it vanished into thin air.


    FBOOM!


    Not just my stomach, but every organ in my body was shaken by the sudden noise that erupted from the clearing. From the faint cloud, I could only guess that something just broke the sound barrier!


    ¡®It couldn¡¯t be the knight or monster...but then what else?¡¯¡¯


    A reminiscent pressure built inside me while my mouth was engulfed by a metallic taste.


    Spitting out some blood, a dull pain started accumulating all over my body. I had seen my share of the unbelievable, but this was just too much.


    I refocused myself and realized that the knight had also disappeared alongside the monster.


    ¡®Was the clothed man carrying out secret weapon field tests? No, the organisation would have known¡­¡¯


    My trail of thought was interrupted by randomly appearing sparks, popping into existence all over the clearing.


    The clothed man continued to stand in the same spot, the centre of my attention. Despite remaining motionless, every hair on my body stood on its end, as if there truly was a concealed weapon.


    However, that focus did not last before my ears screamed in pain from the sheer volume that my brain failed to register earlier. It was as if a switch suddenly got flipped and the sound of metal striking another metal, amplified by a hundredfold started battering my eardrums. I lost track of how long I clasped my ears before the pain subsided enough for me to recover. This was just not right, every organ in my body was just screaming for me to run for my life. Yet I fought back the urge, I needed to figure out what was truly happening.


    I shut out the pain from my ears and body and focused on the clearing. Slowly, I noticed a pattern, the sparks followed a slight curve around the long-eared man, as if they were trying to approach him but instead collided with an invisible wall.


    Straining my eyes in the approximate area where I predicted the next spark would appear, I managed to make out rapidly moving blurs, no. Even saying that I could make out the blurs of two objects would be giving myself too much credit.


    ¡®Shit, it¡¯s as I thought.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®But if that¡¯s true...then they were moving far faster than a person could perceive. They were fighting at Mach speed¡­ In fact, the only reason I could tell that something was even there was due to my grueling training and their momentary loss of speed due to collisions.¡¯


    My eyes began tearing up from the continuous strain.


    Fear


    A feeling I hadn¡¯t experienced in years suddenly gripped my body and mind. There wasn¡¯t anything I could do, not when I can¡¯t even follow their movements. I had to go back and warn Eagle.


    Raising myself from a crouching position with my eyes glued to the battlefield, I was about to turn and head for safety when a lightning fast object crashed into a tree and caused it to topple over. The tree went down with countless cracking noises that pierced the lull of the momentary quiet.


    With curiosity overpowering my fear, I decided to watch for a while longer. My heart was racing, threatening to break free of my chest at a moment''s notice. It¡¯s the man in armour, armour that had three claw marks going through the chest piece which was rapidly being coloured red.


    The creature stopped in the middle of the clearing and looked straight at my face. My stomach lurched, knees gave out and my pain forgotten. Never had I felt such monstrous killing intent. I killed thousands upon thousands of men and accumulated a personal killing intent that will rob a man of his breath. Yet its power was like that of a candle compared to the burning inferno called the Sun. Insignificant. A seeming eternity passed and the ash coloured monster looked up to the sky, now painted an array of orange, red and violet.


    I spotted the clothed man bringing his arms in over his head and jerking them forward, towards the still body. I could just make out a dim, green glow seeping out from the armour¡¯s cracks. The creature suddenly looked at the green glow and charged forward, only a fraction of its previous speed. With its left elbow bent behind itself, it was ready to outstretch it and deal a finishing blow. Something clicked in my mind, and my body stirred into action.


    Aiming down the iron sight, I took aim and shot straight towards the head of the monster with the silenced pistol. Any expectations of a sure kill are brutally dashed as the creature took a quick sidestep, dodged the bullet and looked straight at me again. Once more, I was submerged in its overwhelming killing intent, frozen in place as a mouse would be before a lion.


    It dropped its arms again and like a pendulum on a clock, swayed them several times before stopping and disappearing again.


    ¡®Shit.¡¯


    I scanned the clearing for a sign of the monster but it was nowhere to be found. A vomiting sensation built up in my throat as a vile stench entered my nostrils. Not even a second later my eardrums were violently vibrated by an ear splitting roar that originated from right next to me.


    Immediately turning towards the source of the noise my heart skipped a few beats as I saw the monster¡¯s face mere inches from my own. Its charcoal red eyes gleamed at me and it''s obnoxious breath reeking from a mouth that resembled a cavern filled with stalagmites on both the top and bottom. I covered my mouth but an even greater amount of blood streaked down the corner of my lips.


    My body couldn¡¯t handle much more blood loss.


    I became lightheaded, my grasp on consciousness started slipping, and the creature leapt a short distance back sensing the weakness. It swung its claws towards me leaving no room to dodge, I brought my arms up in a feeble attempt to block the incoming swing and tightened my muscles, expecting the impact.


    FFSSHHWKK!


    Instead of a life-threatening hit, a sound reminiscent of knife piercing flesh attracted my attention and I looked up. The knight was crouched in front of me, leaning on his left knee for support. He gagged and vomited a stream of blood,


    ¡®How did he get here so fast?¡¯


    There was just no way a man whose body was used to topple a tree and clawed open could recover within minutes.


    ¡®Did they give them an immense recovery as well?¡¯


    Switching my gaze to the monster''s lump of an arm that was about to kill me, I saw that it was now pierced through its center by the bastard sword. A dark liquid started flowing out, streaming down the oddly shining sword.


    As if empowered by the flow of blood, the knight suddenly jumped upwards and somersaulted over the creature. By strategically using his weight and momentum he forced a blood-freezing howl by forcing its wrist backwards. Finding its left arm in a deadlock, the creature made vain attempts of swinging its arm at the knight with monstrous power. The shaking knight narrowly dodged by crouching leaving the trees behind him to be uprooted by the wind pressure of the swing.


    ¡®Why doesn¡¯t the monster just try to distance itself, instead of solely relying on its free arm to save itself?¡¯


    Still unable to move, my eyes wandered down to its feet and saw that they were stuck in the ground, semi-spheres of mud formed around its legs.


    There were cracks rapidly forming along the edges but they managed to hold the beast down. I breathed out in relief knowing the creature was immobile if even for a moment and felt something warm flow down my ears and pondered the cause.


    ¡®Just what is going on¡­¡¯ I coughed out more blood, my vision beginning to blur.


    ¡®I need to find a place to recover¡¯. Swirling my head around in search of an escape route, something solid smashed into my skull, shaking my brain like jello.


    Wincing from the pain I turned my head in the direction the rock came from.


    ¡®Shit¡¯


    The beast was about to break free, countless cracks have made a spider-web formation across the semi spheres and the previous projectile was a small chunk broken off.


    Deciding this will be the best, and possibly the only opportunity, I reached for my pistol with trembling hands. The creature brought its arm and body down to the ground, preparing for a final jump to free itself. The knight noticed its intention and threw himself on the monster¡¯s back, forcing one of the creature''s arms further behind its back in a lock, the sword acting as the key. A low, pained growl escaped from the monster''s throat.


    Despite the warrior¡¯s attempt to restrain the creature, it continued to ready itself and finally flexed its muscles for a powerful jump. The pain was too much, causing me to fumble with my gun, pushing the trigger too soon and dropping it. The knight abandoned his sword and jumped to the safety of the ground. With a loud roar and a burst of motion, the creature shot into the air.


    ¡®There has to be something else we can do!¡¯


    Not done yet, I looked upwards as a blur collided with the creature and sent it flying sideways. I couldn¡¯t quite make out the source of impact but the monster started spasming with all of its limbs jerking in random directions.


    The creature¡¯s altitude began dropping at a quick pace and once it collided with the ground a giant explosion engulfed the monster. Closing my eyes and covering my head I braced for impact, but nothing came. Instead, there was a rush of heat but no shockwave.


    Opening my eyes, I observed the visible outline of the shock wave being sucked back in and replaced by an ensuing fire that spanned a height far greater than the nearby trees, consuming them in the process.


    The ash coloured figure disappeared from sight, turning into a wisp inside a dark, ash coloured flame similar to its own fur coat. Slowly, the fire faded out of existence leaving behind a crater with dust blown around by a breeze and a charred body in the middle.

 Chapter 4 - When Life Just Really Hates You

    I snuck a quick look at the captain.


    ¡®Oh man, if the rest of the squad- no, the organization - saw this, they would have a field day for sure. His reputation may take a hit, but I would be hailed as a hero among devils. You just never have what you want when you need it, do you?¡¯


    A memory of tossing my phone onto the living room couch and watching it make a splendid somersault after the initial bounce before coming to a stop flashed through my mind.


    Sigh


    The sky was devoid of any clouds, giving the Sun a clear path to beat down onto me. Regretting my decision to depart onto the mission without my phone and having something to cover my head with, I turned forwards and got going.


    I started sauntering forwards, kept going, and kept going some more, just a couple more steps¡­There! I arrived in front of a tree.


    ¡®God, these little bodies are horrible. If I had my old body this measly distance would only take several strides.¡¯


    Lifting my arm and placing it on the trunk of the tree, I ran my hand across its rough and coarse surface. Not sure what I was expecting, it seemed just like any regular old tree. I tilted my head backwards and evaluated my options of scaling it.


    ¡®Tch, there aren¡¯t any branches for the first five meters¡­that¡¯s nearly five times my height!¡¯


    I reckonedthat two and a half meters was possible by running up the tree and kicking off it, but no plan came to mind for the other two and a half. The gears in my brain started turning furiously as I stroked my pretend beard with my free hand.


    ¡®Hmmmm¡¯


    That¡¯s right! The knives! Cato and I should both have some mil spec knives in our now overly large clothes. I jogged over without caring about saving my energy as there was no way in hell I am spending another minute just to walk there and back again.


    Rummaging through our clothes I started tossing ammo, radios, gauze, pistols, and grenades to the side until finally got to the two knives and returned to the tree.


    ¡®Wait, will I even be able to sink the blades deep enough into the bark with my atrophied muscles?¡¯


    I took a deep breath.


    ¡®Well, here goes nothing¡¯.


    I stabbed towards the bark. Uniting my shoulder, core, and arm strength into one as I poured it through the blade.


    THWUK!


    A dull and silent sound came from the wound I inflicted onto the tree. I swore it stirred, if only slightly¡­


    Regardless, I managed to pierce roughly five inches into the bark. Now to confirm if it can support my new weight. I hopped onto the blade and did some practise squats on one leg. It held. As a final test, I leapt off the blade with extra force, landed back down onto the grass and took out the knife that was still stuck fast in the bark.


    I made a few quick calculations and practise runs in my head before backing off a good distance. I tightened my grip on the handle and sprinted forward with all my might. Approaching the tree, I kicked off the ground and tried to sustain as much of my momentum as possible by continuing to run up the tree. Just as I my momentum came close to a stop, and I was about to plunge downwards, I brought my hand overhead and stabbed the knife straight into the bark.


    ¡®Yeah, take that, tree! You thought I couldn¡¯t climb you?¡¯


    A deep breath readied myself for the drop and I looked down. My heart sank and a tingling sensation ran down my spine.


    ¡®That¡¯s not the two and a half meter drop I was planning on, that looked more like four meters¡­¡¯


    I was now dangling four meters in the air, with no safe way down.


    ¡®How did I even get this far? Is the gravity less? Nah, that can¡¯t be.¡¯


    Not once did that happen in any of the stories I¡¯ve read.


    Seeing as how there was no way down, I looked up. The first branches were relatively close to me. Great! I just need to climb up and-If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡®How am I going to climb up? Sure, with my old body I could hoist myself upwards without issue but with these spaghetti arms? Pfft, yeah rig¡­maybe?¡¯


    ¡®On the other hand, jumping down seemed like an equally bad decision. Guess I¡¯ll try the safe route first¡¯.


    I gave a quick tug on the knife and nearly skyrocketed upwards. Not only did I raise myself eyelevel with the blade, I kept going until my shoulders were on the same plane. Not wasting the opportunity, I sunk my fingers into the bark, acquiring a flimsy grip, and pushed downwards with my right hand onto the blade.


    Bringing my knee chest level, I got my right foot onto the blade just as it started to wobble more than normal.


    ¡®Uh oh¡­¡¯


    Panic began to seep into my body. With a last ditch resort I kicked off the blade and outstretched my arms towards the nearby branch. Mimicking a motion similar to a leopard as it jumps onto unsuspecting prey from a crouching position, front paws outstretched and their hind trailing behind.


    A dull thud came from the knife as it landed on the ground below, by which both of my hands were now gripping the branch. Swinging my feet back and forth to get onto the branch I was hanging off, I supposed that a monkey would do something similar.


    ¡®Aren¡¯t I just the king of the jungle now?¡¯


    Raising myself onto the branch I reflected on what just happened.


    ¡®How did I even manage to climb that? No¡­ That would be too good to be true! Did I not keep only my memories, but my strength from the old world - my previous self - as well? In that case, I will be completely unstoppable! Just a decade or so of training and people all over shall bow down before my greatness¡¯.


    I took another look upwards and whistled.


    ¡®Man this tree is tall¡¯.


    I scanned the nearby branches with serious consideration before proceeding to climb it. Jump, grab, swing, pull. I performed one acrobatic move after the other in perfect succession. If some villager saw me they would call me a gymnast prodigy. Finally reaching the apex of the tree I sat down and leaned against the trunk. Using the opportunity as a breather, I closed my eyes and listened to the wildlife around me.


    Instead of the expected barrage of birds chirping, leaves rustling and squirrels scurrying about, there was silence.


    All right, time to get up and take a look around.


    ¡®Woah¡­¡¯


    My sight was greeted with a lush forest, a blanket made of leaves and branches blocked out the Sun from the dirt. Not only that, like a smooth wave, the forest rose in height together with ever increasing, expanding trees the further back I looked.


    The ones further away became massive skyscrapers. It was like a sea of green with a wave that rose up, threatening to come crashing down on me at any moment. I did my best to switch my attention to my right.


    ¡®Well isn¡¯t that nice¡¯.


    It was a mirror image of the forest, only made up of mountains.


    Absolute monstrosities. Strangely enough, much like the trees, there were smaller mountains closer to our position and bigger ones behind it, increasing in size as the land went on.


    ¡®Wait, is the tectonic plates theory wrong? Or perhaps this spot is an oddity¡­but why wouldn¡¯t anyone notice this earlier¡­?¡¯


    Thankfully I possessed enhanced vision, thus my nickname - Eagle, and could make out the individual mountains, whereas they would appear blended into a single large hill to anyone else.


    I let my gaze wandered upwards as I followed the distinction between the area of trees and mountains until I felt like I was about to lose balance. Just at the edge of my vision, the distinction met the clouds.


    ¡®Well shit. Pretty sure we are not on planet Earth anymore. The boss is going to love this.¡¯


    I turned around and looked behind me, the direction Cato went.


    ¡®Oh this has got to be a joke¡¯.


    On the side opposite of the trees and mountains was a village. In fact, it¡¯s less than one Klick away, the boss was sure to run into them, probably did by now.


    An itch welled up on my bum cheek, something must have crawled onto me while I was sitting¡­ Slapping it with all my might to make sure it didn¡¯t get away I felt a satisfying squish as it died. I attempted to bring my arm back but found that it was stuck.


    ¡®Oh come on, really?¡¯


    I gave another pull, yet I was unable to free my hand, it was firmly stuck on my ass. To top it off, there was probably a stain from the insect¡¯s splattered innards as well.


    ¡®Gross¡¯


    No! With renewed effort, I brought my left hand on my right and with the combined force of both arms, I tried to pry my hand from my butt cheek but to no avail. The sticky substance stretched but did not give.


    ¡®Oh you¡¯ve got to be kidding me¡¯. I sighed inwardly at my rotten luck.


    ¡®This day is just getting better and better¡¯. Deciding to ignore my predicament for now, I looked behind me.


    Emptying my lungs and taking in a deep breath, I confirmed my situation. Having scanned the basic environment, I needed to descend and get a better understanding of our environment on the ground.


    Tracing my path upwards, I was able to approach the final branches after which a five-meter drop awaited me. Three meters I could handle with the help of a roll, that left two more.


    An irresistible scratching sensation rapidly built on my back. Just as I was about to relieve myself, I remembered what happened to my right hand.


    Carefully, I prodded that spot to see if there was any tree sap on it. Of course there was, why wouldn¡¯t there be? Tightening my muscles, I pulled the finger away from the tree sap on my back.


    Suuurp


    It came off rather with an odd slurping sound. I brought the finger with the tree sap closer to my face, and sniffed it.


    ¡®No smell... strange¡¯.


    I examined it a bit closer and fought back the urge to lick it with all my might. An attempt at taking a step forward revealed that my foot was stuck fast onto a branch. Unprepared for the sudden resistance coupled with my right arm throwing the center of gravity off, I lost my balance and toppled off the branch.


    Shielding my face with my arm, I braced for impact. The wind rushed in my face threatening to choke me as the branches, riddled with leaves, approached at a frightening speed followed by a sudden shock that reverberated through my skull.

 Chapter 5 - A Heart Warming Thank You

    ¡±.sehtolc yna tuohtiW¡° ,*tipS* *hguoC* ¡±.yob elttil a yb devas erew ew tub ,htomeheb a yals ot deganam ew evah ylno toN ?won tahW¡°


    ¡±?stnerap ruoy era erehW !yoB .ti fo draeh reven evah I .egnarts si desu eh ecived eht tub ,wonk t¡¯nod I¡°


    I strained my ears to try and understand the conversation. but not only was it in a foreign language, I could barely hear them. My body stiffened and I returned a confused but heart-warming look. One of the men abruptly turned and started walking away for me.


    ¡±-srif dliug eht ot nruter ot deen ew ,detimil era seitiliba gnilaeh yM .oga stnemom ylno doolb pu gnihguoc erew uoY ?uoy era ydob eht pu kcip og ot gniog ton er¡¯uoY ?gniog uoy era erehW !yeH¡°


    Seeing the clothed man extend his arm towards the armoured man, I focused on his lips trying to decipher the speech in vain. I barely caught a glimpse of the knight as he disappeared and reappeared in front of me. His hand was coming in a chopping motion towards the base of my neck. My mind screamed danger, my instinct took over causing me to turn my left hip towards the knight and avoid his strike by a hair¡¯s width. The knight¡¯s visor prevented me from reading any emotion coming from him.


    ¡®Why is he attacking me? Did I not help them? Perhaps they think I am a spy?¡¯


    Doubt it, I should look like an ordinary child to them. Sweat started to cover the back of my neck, the previous demonstration of speed and power cut off any thoughts of an escape.


    ¡°.si pmac sih erehw eeS .wollof dna pu ekaw ot mih rof tiaw ,tuo mih kconk ew yas I .kcart ot elba eb neve t¡¯ndluow knar dloG a woleb enoyna taht ekirts a dediova eH .dlihc yranidro on si tahT ?taht eeS¡±


    ¡°.kcul erup neeb ev''dluoc ti ,sediseB .efil ruoy gnivas naht rehto gnihtyna fo ytliug ton si eh ,yob eht llik t¡¯nod tsuJ .llew yreV¡±


    Something welled up from within me and I spat. More blood.


    ¡®Shit, this isn''t good¡¯.


    With adrenaline wearing off, I felt multiple internal injuries inflicted from the previous battle.


    Just how powerful were the noises from the fight?


    My vision began to dim and controlling my body became a more demanding task by the second. I watched the armoured man wearily as he took several steps back. The knight didn''t even halt before dashing forward and repeated the same attack. Baffled by his stupidity, I dodged with the same stepping motion. At that moment, I realized that one of his legs was missing!


    ¡®Shit¡¯.


    My heart skipped another beat and I broke into a split while bending my body forward to embrace my knee and dodge the incoming kick. The coldness of his armour reflected on my skin as it passed over my head, neck and back before a sudden pain erupted from my spine and the grass below started rapidly approaching.


    Just barely being able to suppress the agonizing pain, I drifted through consciousness, my body refused to listen to me. I could only close my eyes and listen to the two people talking.


    ¡±?pu sekaw eh ecno erom emos mih htiw dnuora yalp dluoc I spahreP .og dluoc eh raf woh ees ot detseretni ma I .gnimoc woble ym ees t¡¯ndid eh dab ooT .ytilibixelf gnisirprus s¡¯dik eht noitnem ot toN .rerutnevda dloG a fo deeps eht ta erew taht skcatta owt degdod tsuj yob tahT ??em gniddik uoy erA ?yas uoy ekulF¡°


    ¡±.od htob eW .won efil ruoy mih ewo uoy ,retal ezigolopa retteb uoY .yob eht ot derapmoc ekoj a si noitidnoc ruoY .evom ot elba neve saw eh taht desirprus m''I .gniliaf fo egrev eht no snagro lareves dna smurdrae derutpur dah tuo mih gnikconk yb efil ruoy gnivas rof diaper yldnik os uoy taht yob eht ,detseretni er¡¯uoy esac nI .noitidnoc sih yb gnigduj ,sruoh lareves nihtiw pu ekaw dluohs eH .mih laeh I elihw seert ybraen eht ni edih dna ecneserp ruoy ksam ,hguonE .yawyna eciton dluow uoy taht toN .knil a tuohtiw htgnerts hcum os deriuqca yob eht woh tuo dnif ot deen ew ,hguone s¡¯tahT¡°


    ********


    I opened my eyes. The Sun was quickly setting. It¡¯s time for me to head back and meet up with Eagle...I tried to get up but after a single step, collapsed. As I fell a flood of memories rushed back to me, the desolated path, the ash covered creature and the two men that I saved and got...knocked out by them?


    ¡®Where are they now?¡¯


    They must have left by now¡­. I decided to do a quick sweep of my surroundings before heading back.


    My first destination was going to be the huge crater left behind by the explosion. Beginning to approach it with great caution, breathing became more and more difficult. A particularly crunchy noise led me to look down, the leaves by my feet had withered to varying degrees, those further ahead completely shriveled up. By the time I reached the very edge of the crater I was holding my breath from the lack of air.


    The body of a hulking beast laid in the middle of a perfectly round crater, in fact, had I not witnessed the explosion I would say it was a work of art. However, there was an unnatural feeling around it - being covered in a substance that resembled gray sand did not make it any better.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    As I crouched down to pick up the sand, a sudden gust of wind picked blew several leaves straight into the pit. The most absurd thing happened, right before my eyes, all of the leaves rapidly withered as they crossed the threshold and turned into the same ash sand.


    ¡®Would that happen to me as well?¡¯


    I quickly backed away and regained my breath.


    ¡®Wait What? How was I able to hear the leaves rustled by the wind?¡¯


    The pain was also gone! I groped around my stomach, everything felt normal.


    ¡®Just how long was I out?¡¯


    It couldn¡¯t be too long, otherwise thirst and hunger would have ran rampant.


    Fighting back the feeling of unease, I began circling around the clearing looking for any tracks, snapped twigs and other stomped plants. Finding none, I started to trace my path back. The walk was rather uneventful but one filled with paranoia. The most notable part was me picking up the claw I had stepped on before.


    I looked up at the sky to be greeted by a magnificent sight.


    There was a moon, far bigger than the one back home, sitting in the sky. Yet, instead of a boring white, it radiated a soft green glow and the sky was filled with stars. It was as if someone sprinkled sugar all over a black sheet.


    ¡®People would pay millions to see a sight like this, an unprecedented tourist attraction. Too bad I have no idea where this is.¡¯


    ********


    I finished my walk under the starry night and approached the clearing. With a quick glance, I confirmed that our piles of clothes were in the same spot, but the prisoner was now tied up to a tree and seemingly asleep. Eagle was nowhere to be found. Clearly the prisoner wouldn¡¯t tie himself up so I approached him to ask where Eagle went. Only a few minutes passed before the flow of air behind me shifted ever so slightly.


    I turned, fearing that either the men decided to attack or the creature managed to survive. Something was charging straight at me. Not able to make out the rapidly approaching figure in the dim light I didn¡¯t hesitate to pull out my gun.


    As I was about to pull the trigger a rock came flying from my right and hit the top of my hand. Dropping my gun from the impact I rolled to the side to avoid the figure which covered head to toe in branches and leaves.


    Planting my left foot, I prepared for a powerful punch to knockout the creature, only it was a faint, quickly shifting myself I turned to my right and threw my punch forward at another figure. A satisfying feeling flowed up my arm as it connected with flesh. The figure fell backwards and coughed. I looked over my shoulder and saw-


    ¡°Cap-Cato, man you¡¯re no fun! Even after walking straight into a trap you could see right through it. You just have no blind spots, do you?¡± Eagle said in a jovial manner and prepared for a kick up.


    Enraged by his carelessness I snapped from the accumulated stress and punched Eagle once more straight into the chest in the middle of his motion.


    I started shouting, fury flowing from my voice, ¡°Are you out of your mind? What are you doing messing around in enemy territory!?¡±


    ¡°Woah, easy, easy. I know I may have went a bit too far but that second punch was a bit too much, don''t you think?¡± Eagle struggled to say as he supressed a cough or two.


    ¡°You have no idea what I just went through and just how close I was to greeting Kevin.¡± Bathed in anger I mentioned a person I shouldn''t have and Eagle¡¯s face grew darker.


    ¡°Surely you¡¯re kidding, what kind of situation could of possibly threaten you?¡± Eagle asked, his tone turning serious, a sharp contrast to his joking attitude a while ago.


    ¡°We will talk in more detail later, the short story is that there were two people and a creature at least three times our size, there is definitely nothing like that on Earth.¡±


    ¡°On Earth? Well that makes it easier, the landscape further north from here isn¡¯t anything that can be found on Earth, at least as far as I know.¡± Eagle interrupted me, admittingly for a good reason.


    ¡°Well that just about confirms it. Moreover, there are people, as well as creatures, that can move at Mach speed. They also have other powers that I cannot confirm but seemed related to healing, controlling earth and causing explosions.¡±


    I summarized my encounter and observed Eagle¡¯s face as, to my amazement, a wide grin took form.


    ¡°So, are you telling me that when I said we are in a different world, with magic and such I was right? Eh Captain?¡± I clicked me tongue, he¡¯s right. In fact, it''s almost as if he knew more of this world than our own.


    ¡°Yes, anyway, seeing as how you were correct with your earlier prediction, you¡¯ll have to brief me-¡±


    ¡°Will do, but first Cato, you mentioned two men moving pretty fast. Does one of them wear something heavy, like metal, and the other a light fabric?¡±


    ¡°That is- hold on, how did you know? I never told you that.¡± I furrowed my eyebrows as Eagle said something he shouldn¡¯t know.


    ¡°Well, I can''t see clearly at the moment, but they followed you to the edge of the clearing - don''t turn towards them - and are inside the tree tops. Why don''t we walk over to my baby and take a shot at them?¡±


    Eagle proposed a very enticing idea. In fact, I was very much intrigued myself whether they could dodge a bullet from a sniper rifle. After all, they would have never seen anything like it and had no reason to dodge...


    ¡°You have my permission but to be on the safe side, shoot the one in armour.¡±


    ¡°Roger that!¡±


    Eagle responded while chuckling to himself, his love for shooting big guns was unrivaled, and he rarely got to use his favourite, a Cheytac. We both walked towards Eagle¡¯s pile of clothes as if nothing was amiss. I watched as he crouched down, pulled back his stuff to reveal the apex of snipers.


    [The Knight¡¯s perspective]


    ¡°What are those kids up to now? I can''t understand a single word they''re saying.¡± The metal-clad Barth stopped and looked at his gauntlets. ¡°Ah great, now my armour is covered in sap.¡±


    ¡°Just be quiet and listen, actually I believe we should change position. That second kid had the same look as you when presented with a target, something just doesn¡¯t seem right¡­¡±


    The clothed man spoke as he watched the boys under the blanket of darkness.


    ¡°Hey, is that second boy, the one lying beside a metal rod, not looking straight at us?¡±


    ¡°I thought you agreed to let me listen and figure out their nationality fr- Barth, raise your shield, now!¡±


    The clothed man knocked on the shield. Barth yanked it off his shoulder and brought the shield up to his eye level. A bullet longer than his middle finger was deflected by the very top edge of the kite shield and burrowed a hole into the trunk of the tree.


    ¡°Hey Marden, isn''t it dangerous to have so many florans die?¡± The armoured man asked while pointing with his thumb at the hole.


    ¡°Absolutely, you need to go and stop them now, thankfully the hole was rather small and I can stem the flow, perhaps there¡¯s hope.¡±


    Marden replied in an exasperated tone and brought his arms towards the hole.


    ¡°Do not harm them.¡±


    A loud creaking noise came from the branch in protest as Barth lifted himself and kicked off.

 Chapter 6 - Broken Charades

    ¡°Well, did you hit him?¡± I asked Eagle.


    ¡°Hit him? What I hit was a boulder for all the difference it made. A single spark flew off, nothing else!¡±


    Eagle replied and looked at me over his shoulder, beckoning towards a certain tree. I followed the direction just in time to catch a blur landed on the ground.


    ¡°Are you sure that was a direct hit?¡±


    ¡°No, bu-¡±


    ¡°Shit, try again! This time aim for his chest plate. There should be some wide gashes leaving him exposed!¡± I shouted at Eagle, while making a slashing motion across my chest.


    ¡°You nuts? We both know the first shot did nothing to him, now you want me to completely piss him off?¡± Eagle responded.


    ¡°If they wanted us dead, we¡¯d be buried a long time ago. They either want us as hostages for political purposes, intelligence, or both. So take another shot at it, once he gets here it¡¯s over for us!¡±


    Perhaps convincing Eagle as much as myself, I ordered him to shoot once more.


    Dead ahead, the slowly approaching figure marched forward with calculated strides. Eagle turned towards his scope, ten meters separated us from him. Not even a second had passed before the knight covered the entire distance separating us. He stopped crouching over Eagle¡¯s gun, covering the barrel.


    ¡®What in the¡­¡¯


    It was like watching an action figure suddenly yanked forward by a rope, accelerating, and stopping in an instant.


    ¡°¡­uoy erew I fi taht od t''ndluow yllaer I¡±


    The knight threateningly growled at us, the strange language accentuated the threat. I glanced at Eagle, he shook his head, returning a blank stare. I suppose learning ten Earth languages doesn¡¯t help with alien speech.


    ¡°?em dnatsrednu ton uoy naC ?morf uoy era yrtnuoc hcihW¡±,


    More words came from the Knight, seeing as how we did little to react, he held out his hand. Eagle and I remained motionless.


    A gust of air come from inside the helmet.


    ¡®Did he just sigh at us?¡¯


    The armoured man stood up, lifted the rifle with two fingers and swung it around like a metre long toothpick before dropping it to the side. I watched as Eagle rolled out of the way and stood beside me.


    ¡°.eM .eviG .snopaeW¡± Stressing each word''s syllable the knight extended his arm once more.


    ¡°Cato wha-?¡±


    ¡°He wants to disarm us peacefully, just give him the gun behind your back, no need to pretend.¡± I reluctantly placed my own pistol in his oversized palm. Seemingly satisfied, the knight curled his fingers and pointed downwards with his thumb.


    ¡®What does he want now? Is he not going to let us live? Perhaps he won¡¯t be able to dodge from this distance....¡¯


    ¡°Psst, Eagle-¡± I quickly got Eagle¡¯s attention and made a few hand signs beckoning at our feet and the enemy in front of us. A quick nod and we sprang to action.


    Mustering up all my strength and remembering countless repetitions, I hooked the knife next to my foot, kicked it upwards and jumped after it. Meanwhile I caught a glimpse of Eagle following my lead. He grabbed his at chest-level and dashed straight for the man.


    Once I caught the knife mid-air, a metre advantage in height was presented. Twisting my body, I angled myself to land onto the shoulders of the knight. His eyes were my targets. Our blades rapidly approached,


    ¡®Why isn¡¯t he trying to dodge? Or even move?¡¯


    Less than a millimeter remained,


    ¡®We got him!¡¯ I shouted in my heart with joy.


    Only that happiness was short lived as my knife came into contact with a rock-solid object, completely fracturing my knife and sending half of the blade spiraling upwards. I kicked off the armour and with the aid of a backwards somersault and landed on my feet.


    I quickly looked to my left and saw Eagle gripping a knife without the blade.


    ¡®Does he not have any weaknesses at all?¡¯


    Not even a minute had passed and the man proved himself invincible. He took a step closer, now towering only inches away from us. Every single muscle in my body tensed up in anticipation for anything, an attack, jab, slash.


    What came next was just¡­


    Clap, Clap, Clap...


    The man collapsed into a cross-legged seating position and started clapping.


    ¡®Why is he clapping? Was this some kind of test laid out by the organisation? No that can¡¯t be, the expenses for something like this would have been astronomical¡­¡¯


    ¡°¡­mrah on naem I tub ,tey derettahs t¡¯nevah stirips gnithgif ruoy taht desserpmi m¡¯I¡±


    ¡®Is he talking to himself?¡¯


    A loud thumping noise interrupted my thought, I looked for the source and noticed two shallow depressions in the grass.


    Making a quick gesture with his thumb to me and Eagle, the knight beckoned towards the depressions.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ¡°.tiS¡±


    A short grunt echoes from the knight. I looked at Eagle,


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we join him? Not like we have any other choice.¡±


    Eagle plopped himself down showing no restraint or hesitation. I took a quick glance in both directions, spotting nothing I followed Eagle¡¯s lead. A short nod from the knight confirmed that we did as he wanted.


    ¡®Now what?¡¯


    I observed the knight but he did not stir.


    A minute went by, all of my senses were burning from extreme usage to pick up on any sign of danger in advance. Finally, the knight stood up and put his hands in front of us before we could even try to get up. Seemingly content with being offered no resistance, he started taking powerful strides towards our prisoner.


    ¡°Hey Eagle, any idea how we will explain the other kid over there?¡± I asked, trying to break the ghastly silence surrounding us.


    ¡°Does it even matter? Wouldn¡¯t he look like one of us, minus a bit of his shoulder?¡± Eagle whispered back.


    ¡°Perhaps, but how do we even explain... no never mind, there is no way for us to even sta-¡± I gasped under the immense pressure crushing me from every direction. Each breath became a battle for survival. I strained my neck to look at Eagle. His face was rapidly changing colour and was using his arms to keep himself from collapsing.


    Less than ten seconds had passed before I was forced flat onto my stomach, unable to take another breath.


    ¡®Is this how I die? Crushed by something I can¡¯t even see?¡¯


    I opened my eyes one last time and saw the armoured man carrying a body towards us.


    **********


    A cold, tingling sensation spread, quickly replaced by a final jolt bringing me jerking upright and looking around. A blazing fire warmed up my left side leaving the right exposed to the raw night air. An itching sensation brought my attention towards my clothes, revealing a-


    ¡®Am I wearing a potato sack?¡¯


    I threw off the blanket and spotted Eagle sleeping soundly underneath.


    ¡°Psst, Eagle!¡±


    I gently shook him, trying to get him to wake up. He made a grumbling noise and swatted his hand at me.


    ¡®Tch..¡¯


    Annoyed, I jabbed his side and he sprang to life, grabbing my arm.


    ¡°-nekawa yllanif evah uoy ees I ,dooG¡±


    A raspy voice came from the other side of the campfire. Eagle and I wasted no time jumping to our feet, taking battle stances.


    ¡°?uoy era ,sdik yranidro tsuj ton ylraelc er¡¯uoy ,secnaraeppa ruoy etipseD¡±


    A dark, hazy mist began to clear, revealing the old robed man, ¡°.setunim wef a rof nruter t¡¯now loof taht ,yrrow t¡¯noD¡±


    There was a soothing note in his voice, calming me down, whispering that all will be all right. I looked around anxiously, but the knight was nowhere to be found. Then I looked towards the robed man.


    ¡°.em dnatsrednu t¡¯nac uoy ,thgir s¡¯taht hO - emos evah ,ereH¡±


    The old man cut himself off abruptly and passed us two brown pouches filled with liquid.


    ¡°Eagle wha-¡±


    I turned towards him and saw that he was drowning himself in it, head tilted as far back as possible. Seeing no harm and rather tired of keeping up my defences, I slowly brought the pouch to my lips and took a sip. What at first felt like normal water, instead turned into a substance filling me with energy and renewed vigor.


    Newfound strength flowed throughout my body, a feeling of invincibility coming over me. Unable to stop I completely emptied the pouch, my veins and arteries bulging from the increased blood flow.


    ¡°?uoy no tceffa na hcus evah retaw did yhW -eht ni tahW¡±


    The old man rose and started approaching us. I took a quick step back but found myself flying backwards a meter. Landing on my feet I brought my hands in front of me and looked down. Nothing about my physique has changed, but this power,


    ¡®Just what kind of drug did the old man give us? I have to test it out¡­¡¯


    I turned away from the fire and bent down like an Olympic sprinter. Kicking off my right foot I broke into a sprint,


    ¡®This is incredible!¡¯.


    It took me just four strides to reach the edge of the clearing. On my fifth stride my face was recoiled off a hard surface. Staggering backwards I covered my nose and took a tried to make out whatever had stopped me


    ¡®I swear I hit something hard¡­¡¯


    I slowly walked to the edge once more and pushed forward with my arm. There was nothing there, yet my hand was stopped by something. I walked along the edge some more, leaving my hand to trail the invisible surface.


    ¡®Seems like there is some kind of barrier, did the old man create this? But how¡­¡¯


    ¡°Hey Cato! Come back, this stuff is amazing!¡± Eagle shouted to me, waving his hand.


    ¡®Not like this can get any worse¡¯.


    I took a much shorter step this time, but as soon as I started bringing my left foot forward the momentum sent me forward several paces instead. I couldn¡¯t even walk properly anymore.


    ¡®Am I putting too much force into my strides?¡¯


    ¡°Cato you¡¯ve gotta see this!¡±


    Eagle jumped into the air, not several feet, but three times my height, stopped mid flip, and started falling head first.


    ¡°Eagle, what are you doing!¡±


    ¡°Just trust me!¡±


    A smile formed on his lips once more, less than two metres to the ground he outstretched his right arm and stopped himself. His elbow didn¡¯t even bend, nothing seemed to be wrong. He remained standing as straight as a pillar.


    ¡°You see that? This stuff is freaking incredible!¡±


    Eagle bent the supporting arm and extended it, sending him into the air. A quick somersault and he landed right beside me.


    ¡®He just launched himself by extending his elbow¡­¡¯


    A rumbling noise came from my stomach, only then did I realize I hadn¡¯t eaten anything for nearly two days. A delicious aroma creeped up my nose, turning me towards the fire. Some kind of small critters were roasting over the fire, and had just turned a beautiful, golden colour.


    ¡°?doof nevig era uoy fi sneppah tahw ,gnitseretni tsoM¡±


    More incomprehensible words came from the old man. However, he took out a knife and swiftly cut the ropes holding up the creatures, and pierced them with some spare branches.


    Eagle and I eagerly extended our hands for the meal, but it did not come. Instead, the old man made a pretend motion of biting off a piece and said a single word.


    ¡°taE¡±


    ¡°Cato, I think he is trying to teach us his language. If its structure isn¡¯t riddled with a ton of exceptions, I¡¯ll be able to act as a decent translator within a week.¡± Eagle spoke words of delight.


    ¡°Sounds good, the sooner we have a method of communication the better.¡± I watched as Eagle took the branch with food and pointed at it repeating the word,


    ¡°Eat?¡±


    The old man shook his head. Eagle ripped off a piece and brought it to his mouth,


    ¡°Eat?¡±


    The action received a nod from the man.


    ¡®Great, we are able say the word ¡°eat¡±¡¯.


    Devouring the roasted animal, Eagle got up, extended his arm and pointed at his elbow,


    ¡°Elbow¡±


    ¡°Arm, hand, palm, fingers...¡±


    ¡°...sregnif ,mlap ,dnah ,mrA¡±


    The old man answered the name of each part in the strange language. I watched as Eagle continued to point various parts of his body, performed some basic actions such as walking and jumping. The degree to which Eagle focused reached a level I have never seen before. The previous happy-go-lucky attitude would fool anyone from the devious nature he hid beneath.


    The game of broken charades continued as I ate the roasted animal which, strangely enough, tasted like chicken. Moreover, an effect similar to the one from the liquid came through my body, only far less drastic.


    ¡°Hey Eagle, how¡¯s your progress?¡±


    I got his attention and watched as he snapped out of his trance.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe it, their language is eerily similar to latin, but has distinct differences. I didn¡¯t get to grasp the basics yet, but there is now way the similarity is mere coincidence. There has to be some reason that their language structure resembles our own, earlier ones.¡±


    I did not pay much attention to the little comparison.


    ¡°That''s great, did you at least get his name?¡±


    ¡°Cato, you seriously don¡¯t get it do you?¡±


    ¡°Get what?¡± I replied, irritated.


    ¡°That our worlds are or were connected somehow!¡± I could swear Eagle¡¯s eyes had a strange glint in them.


    I asked once more, more interested in receiving an answer.


    ¡°Did you at least figure out his name?¡±


    ¡°Yea, it¡¯s Marden, not sure about his buddy though. Speaking of him, where is he?¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­.¡± I replied, looking around.


    A metallic clinking sound caught our attention.

 Chapter 7 - Much Needed Rest

    [Back on Earth]


    A dimly lit room was filled with murmurs echoing of the bare walls. Half a dozen were people seated around a long, metallic table. Only a sole chair on the very end was vacant. Some were cautiously glancing around, others staring at a pair of double doors like vultures at prey.


    At once, the double doors were flung open and a man with a ramrod straight posture walked through with powerful steps. Immediately, all mumbling stopped and as a wave, silence crashed through the room. Everyone¡¯s attention was directed on the man, now in his mid-forties, with their heads turning to follow him.


    He sat down, placed his elbows onto the end and started rubbing his temples.


    ¡°Okay gentleman, I have been called at five in the morning. Not been told anything. And now that we are all present, would someone be so kind as to inform me of just What. The FUCK, is going on!?¡± Ignatius shouted, slamming his fist onto the metallic table.


    The men in the meeting room twitched from his outburst, but no one broke eye contact.


    ¡°Sir, I am afraid our operative, Cato, has gone missing along with Eagle and the prime target.¡±


    A man in his thirties, dressed in a full suit spoke up. With a quick motion, he placed his phone onto the table.


    ¡°Cato¡¯s squad has just arrived and I wish to play the last segment of their mission.¡±


    ¡°Go. On.¡± Ignatius ordered through clenched teeth.


    A hologram came to life showing a dark room with four people in the scene. All of them were armed to the teeth with army gear, rifles, pistols, vests, and countless other equipment. Two stood around the perimeter guarding the exit, one held a robed man by the collar. The last one was hunching over something. He rose and walked alongside several wires connecting a laptop. It was hooked up to a strange glowing piece of ore.


    ¡°Really? So you just focused some energy, did you?¡±


    ¡°I s-swear! That¡¯s all I know. Let me go! Please!¡±


    The man struggled against Cato¡¯s and flailed around. He was slammed against the table, picked up, and smashed face-first against the wall. A loud bang rang across the room from the impact.


    ¡°Hey captain, I connected the wires to my laptop but need you to give me permission, so that in case I break it you take the blame.¡±


    While holding the man I looked over to Eagle,


    ¡°And will it?¡±


    Eagle jerked his head to the side,


    ¡°Well no, but -¡±


    ¡°Then go ahead.¡±


    No sooner than Eagle had finished speaking than the room became engulfed in a blinding white light. The intensity was so severe that the people in the meeting room had to cover their eyes and turn away. A minute passed and the lighting returned to normal. All attention was focused on the hologram once more.


    ¡°Everyone alright?¡± Someone shouted. The camera wildly spun side to side.


    ¡°Looks clear, nothing abnormal.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Cato?¡±


    ¡°What do yo- Shit, Eagle¡¯s gone as well!¡± Everyone started to approach the center of the room, the epicenter of the light, but there was no one there.


    ¡°The target is missing with them.¡±


    ¡°Where the hell did they go?¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter, we have to return and report. There is nothing left here.¡±


    Silently the remaining three people walked out of the room. The recording abruptly cut off, eclipsing the spectators in darkness for a second until the lights came back on. Everyone¡¯s faces turned various shades of stern, worried or downright shocked.


    ¡°I hope you have at least something to present of what I just saw, an explanation perhaps?¡± Ignatius spoke in a cold tone that gripped the souls of everyone present.


    ¡°I- We, we do not know the cause or consequence of the light, it is currently being investigated by the research department. Cato¡¯s and Eagle¡¯s whereabouts are currently unknown, if we do not receive contact with them in the next forty eight hours¡­¡± The man trailed off, his pulse racing.


    ¡°Is that all?¡± Ignatius asked.


    ¡°This, is what I¡¯ve been called for? I sincerely hope that someone else has anything else to add?¡±


    He looked around the rooms, taking the time to make eye contact with everyone present. Despite all the present members being hardened leaders that fought countless covert battles for their positions, there was a noticeable restlessness among them. No one wanted to be the target of Ignatius¡¯ anger.


    ¡°Uh, it- it¡¯s not been confirmed or verified but approximately an hour after Cato¡¯s disappearance, there was a video posted on the internet of a man crushing a knife¡¯s blade with his bare hand. There weren¡¯t any signs of blood or cuts at all. Shortly after, there were several dozen more uploads featuring people jumping well over a metre, many approaching various Olympic records and performing what would take a life¡¯s worth of dedication.¡± Another formally dressed man spoke up with a shaky voice.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°You know, that is a nice joke and maybe would have had me laughing if not for the sour context. Did you seriously expect me to believe in a bunch of videos?! Look around! No one else is laughing, do you know why that is?¡±


    Ignatius¡¯ voice turned ice cold, the poor man had visible sweat stains forming around his neck.


    ¡°I-I, I don-¡±


    ¡°The reason none of us laughed is because we have received our own reports of such rumours and are in the process of verifying them. So far, they seem true.¡± A different person spoke up. Ignatius¡¯ head swiveled towards the man sending daggers from his eyes.


    ¡°I want everyone to raise their hand here who supports the claim.¡± Ignatius gave a short command.


    At first only three hands rose, but like an accelerating avalanche, more and more hands rose. Until all twelve members have voted.


    ¡°So you¡¯re telling me, that, all of a sudden people are gaining superpowers? That we had no prior knowledge of such occurrences?! We, who have access to cutting edge technology, radars, satellites, spies all over the world and the only thing any of you can tell me is a bunch of internet videos!?¡±


    Ignatius was borderline screaming by the last sentence. He looked around again.


    ¡°Every. Single. One of you is to prepare proper reports by 19:00 tomorrow. I want the whole situation under control by us and crystal-clear before the meeting a week from now. Anyone who I feel underperforms will be cut. Are. We. Clear?¡±


    Nothing changed, yet every single member present has now broken out in cold sweat. Never has anyone heard or even imagined the possibility of Ignatius turning violent. The instilled fear of such an occurrence chilled their very hearts for they knew better than to disappoint at this stage.


    ¡°Yes sir!¡±


    Everyone responded in unison.


    ¡°Dismissed¡±


    With a final scan of the room Ignatius ended the meeting.


    **********


    I froze as I watched the man approach. All my instincts told me to run, hide, to do anything but let him get any closer.


    ¡®No wait, those two are together, if they wanted us dead then we would already be. Does that mean they saved us? Or was the pressure caused by them to make it seem like they are our saviours to elicit trust?¡¯


    I continued to look in his direction, there were two strange objects on his shoulders. The glow coming off the moon wasn¡¯t enough for me to make out much more.


    ¡®Just what is he carrying?¡¯


    Finally coming in range of the campfire¡¯s glow, the objects started splitting into countless smaller segments until I recognized them as bundles of sticks and branches on the knight¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡®So he was out gathering fuel for the fire¡­¡¯


    The man stopped short of the fire and threw the bundles into a messy pile. He spared a curt nod in our direction and lied down beside the old man,


    ¡®What did Eagle say his name was...Marden?¡¯


    I looked over at Eagle but he only returned a shrug before continuing to converse with Marden. They started pointing at the sky, moving their arms about and ended placed their hands next to their face.


    Eagle stopped talking and headed my way.


    ¡°Hey Cato, I think he wants us to sleep. No clue why, but it¡¯s a pretty enticing idea for me - we haven¡¯t slept since departing onto the mission.¡± Eagle said as he sat down next to me.


    ¡°Wait, what happened to the other kid?¡± I asked while looking around.


    ¡°¡­I have no clue.¡±


    I closed my eyes and focused, trying to relive the memory of what happened before I woke up in front of the campfire. The crushing sensation enveloped me once more, I watched as Eagle collapsed and right before my vision went blank I saw the knight carrying something.


    ¡®That¡¯s right! The knight went towards the other kid before we were knocked out¡­ was it his doing?


    I opened my eyes and hurriedly asked,


    ¡°Eagle, do you remember what happened before we woke up here?¡±


    I watched as Eagle closed his eyes and focused on remembering the past events. He opened his eyes-


    ¡°Yeah, something weighed down on us after the knight headed towards¡­¡± Eagle paused, his eyes widened with the realization.


    ¡°You mean the knight did that? You think he was angry when he saw what we did to the boy?¡±


    I looked down to my left for a second and then back towards Eagle,


    ¡°Exactly, that¡¯s what¡¯s bothering me, why are we still alive and where is the kid now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    I breathed out, our situation was completely hopeless. I looked over the crackling fire at Marden. The old man seemed to sleeping but there was a strange feeling coming off him, ¡®is he meditating?¡¯


    I let my gaze drifted down at the fire, mesmerized by the intricate patterns the flame forms.


    ¡°Hey Cato, I¡¯ve been thinking and this may be a bit far fetched, but you know how we were...put into these bodies?¡±


    ¡°Mhmm¡± I responded, still watching the flame.


    ¡°What if the other kid is actually the prime target? I mean, it would make sense as both of us ended up here, while none of the others have. I¡¯m guessing it was something along the lines of an area of effect dictating who got affected. And by that logic, the three of us must have been close enoug-¡±


    ¡°Wait, you remember what happened?¡± I cut of Eagle, jerking my head towards him due to the unexpected response.


    ¡°No, not at all, but it would make sense wouldn¡¯t it? Why else would the three of us end up here? The only thing connecting you and me is the organisation, if we follow that thought then our entire squad should be here. Moreover, since that kid clearly didn¡¯t recognize our names and attacked, then he isn¡¯t part of our group.¡±


    ¡°When you put it that way¡­it sounds possible, but that still doesn¡¯t prove that the prime target is that kid¡­for all we know it may have been someone I was about to kill. But then why would you be nearby?¡±


    I shook my head. There were two many unknowns to be sure. Even then, Eagle¡¯s proposal was rather convincing. Now I truly understood why people called him a genius, his deduction abilities were superb. He managed to make a completely baseless hypothesis sound accurate.


    ¡°Anyways, if what you say is true, then all the reason we have to find the kid and¡­talk to him.¡±


    A dim glimmer flashed across his eyes for a brief moment.


    ¡°I suppose, but I¡¯ll sleep for now. We don¡¯t know how long the days and nights are, but I do know we¡¯ll need all the rest we can get.¡±


    With that, Eagle laid under the blanket next to me and fell asleep almost immediately. I stared in amazement at his carefree attitude.


    ¡®Just how did he end up in the organisation?¡¯


    I looked over at Marden but he still had his eyes closed and the knight had likewise remained on the grass.


    I reached over for one of the smaller branches that the knight had brought and placed the end into the fire. I watched as the tendrils of flames slowly licked the tip and climbed upwards, consuming it. Once the heat became unbearable I tossed the entire branch at the mage. Before it even came close, a gust of wind completely threw it off course.


    ¡®So it was you old man. Suppose I should thank you.¡¯


    Deciding to lie down and recover my strength as well, I closed my eyes, breathed out and relaxed.


    ¡®Just what kind of situation have I gotten myself into? Was all my hard work wasted, or did I get closer to you? Did I ever get closer?¡¯


    ¡®Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll find you even if I have to travel to the depths of hell and back.¡¯

 Chapter 8 - Moving On

    An ear-piercing gunshot jolted me awake. Hurriedly I jumped onto my feet, swiveling my head in search of the noise¡¯s source.


    ¡°Morning sleepy head, got your beauty sleep?¡±


    Eagle called out to me from across the clearing. The old man and knight were standing next to him, inspecting something in their hands. Eagle jogged the distance between us wthin five seconds.


    ¡°What were you shooting at?¡± I asked, looking over his shoulder.


    ¡°Me? Nothing. It¡¯s the old man trying to figure out how the guns work.¡±


    Eagle turned and looked in the direction of the two men turning the pistols over in their hands. I followed his gaze.


    ¡°So last night really wasn¡¯t a dream?¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± Eagle looked at me, eyes wide with disbelief,


    ¡°This is the best thing that could''ve happened to us!¡±


    ¡°Putting aside your little fantasy, have they found out about the spare clips?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Eagle shook his head as several more gunshots rang out across the clearing sending the remaining birds streaming out of the tree tops.


    ¡®At least we will have some spare ammunition once they return our gear.¡¯


    ¡°I''m going to go see if I can get them to move on.¡±


    With that I walked around Eagle, and leapt forward, taking the longest strides possible.


    ¡®Was that drug or whatever was in our food permanent or long lasting?¡¯


    ¡®Are there any side affects?¡¯


    Taking only three strides to cover approximately ten meters, I stopped in front of the two men. Not even a quick glance was spared from them as they continued turning the P226¡¯s around in their hands.


    Just as I was about to get their attention the knight started taking off his gauntlets. He pointed the gun at his palm,


    ¡®Retard-¡¯


    Before I can even finish my thought the knight pulled the trigger and another shot echoed across the field.


    I searched the knight¡¯s palm for any sign of blood but there was none. Not even the leather gloves were damaged themselves.


    ¡®Do bullets have no affect on these guys?¡¯


    ¡°.raeps nedoow a htiw liamniahc ecreip ot gniyrt ekil s''ti ,esac tsrow ,knil a htiw enoyna ot taerht a esop t¡¯ndluohs yltsenoh yeht ,meht ot kcab syot eseht evig tsuj s''tel ,nedraM yeH¡±


    The knight said something while examining his hand from both sides. Satisfied, he placed the gauntlet back and tossed the pistol to my feet along with the rest of our gear on his back.


    ¡°Hey Eagle! Come get your stuff, they¡¯re feeling charitable.¡±


    I shouted to Eagle while throwing the backpack over the potato sack and let my other clothes slide over my shoulder. The rifles and intervention were missing,


    ¡®Guess they don¡¯t feel confident giving back the bigger calibers yet¡­¡¯


    An unexpected slap on the back pulled me out of my thoughts and I spun to face Eagle.


    ¡°You okay there? If you had looked any more menacing then I swear miniature storm clouds would loom over your head!¡±


    Eagle broke out into a slight laugh while picking up his gear from the ground. Meanwhile, Marden and the knight,


    ¡®Wait, what¡¯s the knight¡¯s name?'' Realizing I didn¡¯t even know their names I asked Eagle,


    ¡°Hey, what''s the armoured guy¡¯s name?¡±


    ¡°Barth¡±


    Eagle replied, his left eyebrow raised. Making a mental note of the name, we followed the two people towards the campfire. There were only several embers glowing amidst ash and burnt wood. Marden snapped his fingers and a mist started parting from my left, revealing someone covered by a blanket.


    ¡°Oi Cato, isn¡¯t that-?¡±


    Eagle put a hand on my shoulder pointing at the same boy I shot yesterday.


    ¡°No doubt about it.¡±


    I started groping the shirt over my shoulder in search of a sidearm. A brush with a cold surface, clasping it in my hand I pointed the pistol at the third boy. Not a moment too soon as the boy¡¯s eyes were flung open, his left hand reached for his shoulder. We made brief eye contact and I watched as his face turned a few shades paler.


    ¡®Better not try anything this time.¡¯


    Barth then stepped closer, placing his enormous hand over my gun, pushing it down. I turned to face him but he only made a strange flinging motion in the air with his hand, as if trying to flick off an invisible speck of dirt.


    ¡®Fine, then.¡¯


    I turned around and increased my distance from him.


    Seemingly satisfied, the knight turned around and faced Marden who was now crouched beside the boy. It seemed like the mage was placing his hand over the wounded shoulder and the familiar green glow seeped from the wound.


    ¡®No way, is he healing him on the spot? If Eagle and I can return with that kind of knowledge, then the medical field would be turned over onto its head¡­¡¯


    ¡°.wol secaf dna no sdooh rieht peek yeht erus ekam ot deen tsuj eW .won tuo daeh dluohs ew ,enif s¡¯eH¡±


    The two men started conversing in the incomprehensible language once more. I looked over at Eagle but his face was strained in an attempt to decipher the meaning.


    ¡°EaGle!¡±


    One of the man shouted out in a strange accent. Eagle¡¯s turned towards the noise, it was the mage.


    ¡°HoOd¡±


    The man said a poorly pronounced word, he brought both of his hands behind his neck, curled with the thumbs down. With a swift motion, he flicked his wrist so that the thumbs were now pointing upwards.


    Confused, I reached over my shoulder and found that there was a hood attached to my potato sack.


    Regardless, understanding what was expected of us wasn¡¯t difficult. With our hoods and faces down we started following the two men towards the forest. Once more, I stepped into the single shadow of the forest and felt the cold breeze blew all around me.Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°Hey Cato, I think we¡¯re heading towards a village.¡± Eagle said looking towards me.


    ¡°How do you know that?¡±


    ¡°Oh, well, I forgot to mention this but when I was out scouting the area, the direction you headed in had a village about a klick away. In the other directions were mountains and trees that only increased in size the further away they are.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow and inquired,


    ¡°And why didn¡¯t you tell me this sooner?¡±


    ¡°Ah, hah¡­things kind of came up and I didn¡¯t get the opportunity.¡±


    Eagle gave a simple explanation and shrugged at the later part.


    We continued walking under the trees¡¯ thick canopy, passing countless trees, roots, branches and shrubs. There were several bushes that bore berries but they were all vibrantly colourful shades of cyan, blue, pink, yellow and green.


    ¡®Is the rest of this world this dangerous, or just this forest in particular?¡¯.


    Tch¡­ ¡®There is just so little we know and being under the control of these people is severely hampering us¡­.¡¯


    We drearily walked for several minutes in complete silence. Rays of light began to pierce into the forest lightening the glum mood around us. Just a few paces ahead of us the vegetation began to spread and a bright light spilled into the darkness. I closed my eyes and stepped over the shadow¡¯s edge, bathing in the vast sunlight.


    We were standing on a miniature hill with a village below us, just as Eagle had said. There were various wooden structures, somewhat reminiscent of the medieval houses yet all the roofings were the same style of flat. Save for a few oddballs. There weren¡¯t any walls, sentries or towers of any sort to provide security for the inhabitants.


    ¡®Do they not get attacked at all? Or are they all as powerful as the two we¡¯re following?¡¯


    ¡°I think it¡¯s best we stay on the good side of everyone we meet, we have no idea how powerful the rest are compared to Marden and Barth.¡± I told Eagle.


    ¡°Sure thing, but man, this is a breathtaking sight. What do you think is inside that center building?¡±


    Eagle asked pointing into heart of the village where an excessively large structure was located.


    ¡°Perhaps a meeting place? Some sort of village hall?¡± I suggested.


    It literally towered over all the huts surrounding it. Not wasting anymore time I started jogging at a pace that would put a national sprinter to shame, just to catch up with the rest of the group.


    Without breaking a sweat, I stepped back in line, hood covering my face. Unfamiliar noises filled my ears. People talking, laughing, shouting, doors creaking open, metal clinging, and horses neighing. There weren¡¯t any roaring engines, advertisements playing or planes flying overhead. We must have passed several taverns as the delicious aroma of food led me to salivate, people haggled under stalls and others just passing by with genuine smiles on their faces - not the kind plaguing Earth.


    ¡®The people here seem truly free, able to enjoy themselves without restraint and continuous glances over their shoulders.¡¯


    The realization of just how backwards the society was dawned upon me as I walked on the dirt road witnessing the extraordinary sights. The sheer simplicity of such lifestyles were incredible.


    ¡°Eagle, this must be what people lived like hundreds of years ago.¡±


    I glanced over at Eagle, but he was nowhere to be found. Absolutely lost in the microcosm that this village represents of the Alien culture. His head was swiveling about, left, right, up. It was a miracle he didn¡¯t lose his footing or trip while walking.


    Even while taking in the all the extraordinary details around us, I did not fail to realize our direction was headed straight for the very center of the village. An enormous wooden structure. It was a house that had several smaller houses upon it, almost a pyramid pattern but instead made up of decreasing, rotated rectangles.


    Each section had a roof that smoothly blended from one to the next, supported by countless pillars several men in width. Barth and Marden continued walking forward, approaching the grandiose front door. However, before taking the two wooden steps upwards they were stopped by two people whom emerged from the nearby pillars.


    ¡°.ytitnedI¡±


    One of them commanded something. Barth removed his gauntlet while Marden pulled back his sleeve, they extended their arms for a brief moment before pulling them back. The two guards nodded in satisfaction. They both stepped aside motioning with their hands to come inside. Marden cupped his hand around one of the man¡¯s ear and leaned in. A brief moment later the two guards looked us up and down with quizzical looks.


    Marden turned towards us and gave a single command, ¡®Wait¡¯, thankfully Eagle had learned the word and was able to immediately translate. Despite their size, the large door opened and closed without a sound leaving the three of us in an empty area.


    I turned to the other kid and asked,


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°What is your name?¡±


    No response. Eagle had already caught on and circled around, limiting potential escape routes.


    ¡°I won¡¯t ask again, What. Is. Your. Name?¡±


    I watched the boy closely as his eyes danced around the surroundings, trying to find a possible escape path.


    ¡°My name doesn¡¯t matter, why don¡¯t you tell me yours instead?¡±


    The kid finally answered, placing his left foot forward.


    ¡®Going to fight me now are you?¡¯


    ¡°Cato, yo-¡± I was interrupted mid sentence by the brat.


    ¡°Never heard of you, you wouldn¡¯t happen to be the person who took out several of my men several days ago?¡±


    Any innocence was cleared from his eyes instead replaced by a soul-less gaze.


    ¡®So it is him, damn Eagle was right again¡¯.


    ¡°Listen, why don-¡±


    The bastard cut me off once more. I was forced to hop to my left to dodge a flaming projectile.


    ¡®Wait, what?¡¯


    I replayed the scenario in my head but there was no explanation. The kid raised his hand towards me and out came hurling a ball of fire. However, that one trick left him rather fatigued. Not letting him repeat the motion I closed in while he took a battle stance.


    His form wasn¡¯t bad, only extremely obvious. He went in for a punch with his right hand but the stiffness in his left gave away the fake. With a quick sidestep and swatting motion I avoided both of his blows.


    Overextended, he left his side wide open and I delivered a crippling blow to his gut. Instead of being completely disabled he was pushed sideways a few feet. However, Eagle didn¡¯t let the opening go to waste and finished with a blow to the sternum knocking the wind out of him.


    He buckled over onto the ground making wheezing sounds, trying his best to catch another breath of air. The hood no longer masked his head. Our little was fight was over in a minute. I took several steps towards the boy before a tugging motion on my shoulder stopped me.


    ¡°Eagle not now.¡±


    I talked before looking, a bad mistake as I turned my head and saw one of the guards that stopped Marden, now staring at the little boy. Nothing but fury seethed from his eyes. Very slowly he turned towards me, his vice claw grip preventing me from taking a single step. With the other hand, he pulled back my hood.


    ¡®What has gone into him? Is something on my face?¡¯


    I tried to comprehend why there was now a large grimace on his face to no avail. He grabbed my ear with an icy hand. Disappearing at the same untrackable speed, he appeared before Eagle and pulled his hood back as well. A wave of cold air picked up despite the sun still beating down on us and not a single cloud being present in the sky.


    ¡®This is not good¡­¡¯


    The guard clutched Eagle by the neck seam and flung him towards me. I did my best to catch him but the force of the impact sent both of us tumbling backwards. Minutes passed by, but the guard did nothing else. He just kept staring at us through anger filled pupils. Several of the passing villagers were now looking over with curious glances.


    With a swift motion, the guard retrieved several pitch black throwing knives from a leather pouch. Some were held between fingers, others by the tips.


    ¡®Shit, are those for us?¡¯


    I looked over at Eagle and see the same worried expression mirrored on his face as well.


    Lowering my center of gravity, I took several steps backwards increasing the distance between myself and everyone else. Silently the guard brought his right hand to his left shoulder.


    ¡®He¡¯s going to attack!¡¯


    Every fiber in my body screamed of incoming danger. I just managed to lean slightly to my left as a burning sensation erupted from the other side of my neck.


    I placed my hand on the cut and felt a warm flowing sensation.


    ¡®Had he not made it any more obvious there is no way I could have avoided that!¡¯


    A heavy metallic smell pierced through my nose, overpowering anything else. I turned my head to the right to where the other kid should be. Instead there was a limp body bathing in a pool of red, glistening in the bright sunlight.


    ¡®Eagle!¡¯


    Spinning my head in the other direction I spotted my squadmate still standing. However, his breathing want controlled. That''s when I noticed that he was clutching his left arm which has numerous streams carrying his blood onto the soil below.


    ¡®Not good¡­¡¯


    ¡°Run towards the entrance!¡±


    I shouted in desperation and hoped that somehow the duo will save us once more.


    ¡®But will they?¡¯


    I pushed down the thought.


    We managed to only take several strides before another figure emerged, blocking off our escape.


    ¡®Shit, I completely forgot about the other one!¡¯


    ¡°Now what?¡± Eagle asked through clenched teeth.


    ¡°Watch this one, I''ll handle the one behind us.¡±


    ¡°Just what am I supposed to do to stop him?¡±


    ¡°Anything you can! We just need to hold out until those two come back.¡±


    With that I finally faced the enemy behind us, locking our gazes. His eyes were a cold shade of blue, lifeless.


    He casually walked over to the still body and yanked the knife out, blood spraying from the exposed artery.


    ¡®The damn guy didn¡¯t even bat an eyelid! Does he not feel any sympathy or emotion?¡¯


    ¡®No. To him we are no more but flies to be squashed, worthless in every aspect.¡¯


    I tried to reach for the knife that should be somewhere in the pile of gear over my shoulder.


    ¡®Maybe I can predict where he will throw the knife and intercept it-¡¯.


    However, the moment I reached over, the bloodied throwing knife already left the guard¡¯s hand creating a red trail behind it.

 Chapter 9 - Change of Plans

    "Identity.¡±


    The left guard commanded. However, having done this process countless times I was already unstrapping my gauntlet and focusing my essence. Bright yellow words started to take shape on my forearm revealing my name and race.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Name:</td>


    <td>Race:</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Barth Fol¡¯Reath</td>


    <td>High El</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Having confirmed our identities the guards parted and let us walk through the giant wooden doors. I looked over at Marden who was now whispering to one of the watchmen,


    ¡°Do not let those kids out of your sight, they are under our protection.¡±


    Pushing the door open I walked inside where I walked into the dimly light interior where we greeted by one of the servants draped in a simple blue robe reaching all the way to the ground.


    ¡°Dear adventurers, what brings you to the esteemed manor of Har?¡± The servant asked.


    ¡°We need to speak to the lord himself immediately, it concerns the safety of this village and future logging around the area.¡±


    The servant''s eyes widened at Marden¡¯s reply for a brief second before he regained his composure.


    ¡°Understood, follow me.¡±


    Trailing behind the servant we were led down the hall and up several stairs which were lit by hanging candlelights. We arrived in front of a grandiose throne beautifully stained a deep, rich brown, with expertly carved figures and shapes running over the surfaces. However, it was empty.


    The servant exposed a necklace and clasped it in his hand while closing his eyes.


    ¡®A telepathy token, huh. This village is far better off than I thought.¡¯


    The tokens cost a fair amount as only the magicians well practised in both manual crafts and the arcane could create them, yet they also place seals allowing only the creators to recharge the token.


    ¡°Lord Har will be here shortly.¡±


    The servant spoke up with his eyes now opened, having finished informing his master. I took the opportunity to look around the hall.


    ¡®Almost everything was made up of wood. To be expected I guess, considering it is their prime resource and export for the capital.¡¯


    The builders stuck to the traditional style of having upper, interior balconies looking down onto the throne floor with two spiral stairs on each side leading up to the top floors. There were several shadows moving about the windows, overlooking the throne floor.


    ¡°Welcome dear adventurers, I was informed that you have news concerning the village¡¯s future?¡±


    A voice came from my side. Har must have had one of his magicians teleported him onto the throne,


    ¡®Flashy entrance, too bad we have seen it countless times¡¯.


    ¡°As per your request, the guild had sent us to investigate the forest where we encountered and eliminated a creature whose identity shall be kept confidential. However, the battle destroyed a large section of the forest leading to the deaths of countless florans.¡± Marden spoke up, summarizing our encounter.


    There was a cold glint in Har¡¯s eyes, ¡°Very well, by how much do we have to cut down on our logging?¡±


    ¡°No less than half for the remainder of the year.¡± I observed Har¡¯s face as it began to twist,


    ¡°You understand that that will sorely damage our economical status?¡±


    ¡°Perfectly well, but I hope you also understand the battlefield your village shall become if they were angered any further?¡± The two men were now glaring at each other, willing the other to subdue.


    ¡°What about the payment for your services?¡±


    ¡°Completely covered by the monster¡¯s body that will be recovered within the week.¡± Just as Marden mentions the compensation an ever so slight smile formed on the corners of Har¡¯s lips,


    ¡°I will make sure everyone stays clear, but should there be an overly curious child? What then-¡±


    ¡°It is your duty as the Lord to make sure this information does not spread. If that is all, then we will take our leave.¡± Catching the signal to leave, I turned on the spot and headed for the exit.


    Once Marden gave a respectful bow and caught up I asked, ¡°Think he will leave it alone?¡±


    Marden shook his head and closed his eyes.


    ¡°He realised the potential fortune lying in his forest, no way he would just ignore it. Listen, I placed some wards around the body but seeing as how he has a magician capable of teleporting, I can¡¯t be confident that they will last a week. Would it be alright for you to take the kids to a smithy and tailor while I strengthen the wards?¡±


    I came to an abrupt halt and stared at Marden completely dumbfounded.


    ¡°You don¡¯t mean¡­?¡±


    Seeing no reaction from Marden I went on,


    ¡°You want us to take them in as apprentices??¡±


    Marden now stopped to look at me, filled with determination


    ¡°Precisely, I know they are just kids, but our term is overdue by half a century. How many more will we reject before being satisfied?¡±


    ¡°I suppose, but we haven¡¯t seen their links yet. Or if they will even form.¡± We resumed our walk towards the exit,


    ¡°You have seen their capabilities without one, it is more than enough to assure a powerful link when the time comes.¡±


    ¡®Perhaps it wouldn¡¯t be too bad to take them in, they do show promise after all.¡¯


    ¡°But they¡¯re just children¡­what are we supposed to teach them until they get one?¡±


    Just as I voiced my concerns a sudden chill ran down my spine, freezing me in place.


    ¡®Something¡¯s not right¡­¡¯.


    I extended my focus outwards to the front of the manor and scanned for life essences. There was a total of four, two powerful ones pincering two that were helpless.


    ¡®What happened to the third kid?!¡¯


    Anger and worry welled up within me.


    ¡®Why did they ignore our order?!¡¯


    ¡®They knew they were under our protection so why?¡¯


    I charged through the door, shattering it upon contact and let the rain of splinters cover whoever was on the other side. The two kids were indeed surrounded by the guards, one of them poised to throw a dagger at them,


    ¡®Did they find out?¡¯


    Without a second thought I pumped my legs with essence and sprinted forward, catching the dagger mid-flight. Inches from Cato¡¯s face.


    With a quick scan of my surroundings to confirm that the kids were not in any immediate danger I started leaking killing intent to put the mere watchmen in their place.


    ¡®How dare they go against our orders?¡¯


    They started quivering.


    ¡®Oh, so now you realize who you angered?¡¯


    The guard was visibly stirred up, his pupils wide.


    ¡°W-wh-why are you protecting them? It¡¯s against tradition you, you traitor!¡±


    ¡°On normal grounds that would be true, but I assure you that I am following a more important rule by acting as their guardian.¡±


    I responded while releasing a greater amount of killing intent with every slow, deliberate step to instill even greater fear.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ¡°Yo-you wouldn¡¯t d-dare do anything against me or the guild will ban you!¡±


    The guard tried to take a step back but I kicked off the ground with enough force to close the distance between us in the blink of an eye. Towering over him, I let out a burst of essence and he collapsed backwards on his rear.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, but what you did there¡­¡± I pointed at the dead body,


    ¡°is more than enough proof for me to get away with something of equivalent value.¡±


    I was leaning over the trembling, grown man. Slowly I reached for his neck, waiting for him to start hyperventilating before speaking once more.


    Hearing the satisfying wheeze I lifted him off his feet and whispered a single word in his ear,


    ¡°Piss off¡±.


    Letting go, he dropped down and sprinted towards his buddy.


    ¡®They were just kids, yet he was ready to kill them on the spot. Why does everyone grasp tradition and hold on to it with everything they got?¡¯


    One of the kids was lying a pool of blood, not a trace of his life left.


    ¡®I suppose they will be the perfect option to shock some sense into everyone else.¡¯


    ¡°Marden, these boys are going to be the god damn best in the country by the time we are done with them!¡±


    I shouted to Marden who was shielding the brats with a ward from my killing intent,


    ¡®Right, I should probably stop now¡¯.


    Cutting of the aura, I walked towards the group.


    ¡°Oh? What made you change your mind so suddenly?¡±


    Marden questioned me with a smirk.


    ¡°Just go reinforce the wards, and I¡¯ll babysit them.¡±


    Not wanting to look at his annoying smirk I ignored his remark, ¡°We can meet up at the Eastern exit.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you there.¡±


    I watched as Marden took off and disappeared in the distance before I turned, and approached the future adventurers.


    [Cato¡¯s Perspective]


    ¡®I have no idea what just happened. First there was a dagger flying towards me, then an explosion echoed from behind followed by Barth stopping the the dagger just before it impaled me.¡¯


    ¡®There was a moment of calm before dread came crashing down on the surroundings. It was as if the death reaper himself was resting his skeletal hand on my shoulder from behind.¡¯


    ¡®Yet that lasted a short while before a sense of calm and tranquility returned once more.¡¯


    ¡®All of these people are just insane, even with the cheat of keeping my previous knowledge and strength, will I be able to match them?¡¯


    I shook my head to refocus and scanned my surroundings once more.


    ¡®I have to, or else I won¡¯t be able to save Asher¡­!¡¯


    Marden was behind Eagle and I, followed by the two guards and Barth who was approaching us from the very front.


    After they exchanged several words the mage took off in the direction we came from, while Barth just beckoned for us to lower our hoods and follow him.


    ¡®Looks like it¡¯s over.¡¯


    I cautiously started following him while glancing backwards, making sure that the guards didn¡¯t try to launch a sneak attack.


    The three of us entered a busy street filled with various stalls on both sides of the road. They were filled with various shining trinkets, glass jars with coloured fluids, assortment of armour, weapons and the odd piece of jewelry.


    ¡®Why are we restocking for a trip?¡¯


    ¡°Any idea why we¡¯re here?¡±


    I asked Eagle.


    ¡°Well, assuming that we¡¯re in the market area not by chance, he probably has something to buy here.¡±


    ¡®No shit.¡¯


    Eagle responded, looking around with amazement. This one time, I couldn¡¯t blame him. Despite seeing it a second time, the lack of digital signs, three-dimensional figures popping out or humongous screens displaying advertisements was a pleasant sight. It gave off an exotic yet soothing feeling at the same time.


    ¡°Oh! That must be for us.¡±


    I followed the direction Eagle was looking and noticed a sign hanging off a wooden post, on it was drawn a shirt and a needle going through.


    ¡®A clothes shop? Having anything else to wear other than these potato sacks would be satisfying, but why is he buying it for us?¡¯


    Regardless, I followed the knight inside.


    ¡®For a clothes shop, there are very little clothes here.¡¯


    I looked around, but all I saw was an empty room with a plain wooden floor, a desk at the end and two walls covered in various exemplary garments. There weren¡¯t any racks to walk alongside to choose the size, or any indication of how to actually get the clothes off the walls.


    I looked at Barth but he just pointed at the hanging clothes and smiled.


    ¡°Anything caught your eye Cato?¡±


    Eagle asked as he began to walk alongside the displays.


    ¡°Not really, there just isn¡¯t anything like this back on Earth.¡±


    ¡°I hear ya, but some of these look pretty funny.¡±


    Eagle stopped in front of a particularly odd selection. The bottom consisted of plain leather boots and tight gray pants. While the upper section had a white, long-sleeved shirt with flares on the wrists and a dark green vest trimmed in a golden colour reaching down to his thighs tightened by a belt.


    ¡°Hey, doesn''t that seem rather large for you¡­?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Definitely, but seeing no option for sizes, I¡¯m sure they got it figured out.¡±


    Eagle responded while pointing at his selection and looking at Barth. I left him and started looking for my own outfit. Finding nothing on the first wall I walked over to the other side but nothing caught my interest either.


    Somewhat disappointed, I walked over to the counter where Eagle was standing alongside Barth,


    ¡®He must be getting his clothes already.¡¯


    Approaching the table I noticed several more outfits drawn on the side.


    ¡®Hey, that looks¡­not bad actualy.¡¯


    I¡¯m not sure why, but there was one that really stood out despite being completely unorthodox.


    There was a very wide scarf wrapped around the neck with half of it standing up all the way to the chin, almost like a collar. It went on top of a battle-worn, ghillie combination of trench coat and robe above and below the waist. With the top having several buttons covered by a rather wide belt, with a rope intertwined in it, wrapped multiple times around the waist to tighten the coat.


    ¡°Quite the selection there Cato, didn¡¯t think you had the dramatic flare in you. But it definetily gives the lone-wolf look you so enjoy.¡±


    Eagle walked up to me in his new outfit while talking. I ignored him and continued to inspect the drawing.


    The robe bottom splitted off at two different points, the right side veered off from the waist while the left trailed down to the knee before meeting up at the center, halfway down the calf bone.


    ¡®The tibia I believe it was called.¡¯


    There were also polar sleeves, with the left covered in black and gray horizontal stripes topped off with a black leather glove.


    On the other hand was a dark sleeve which flared out backwards from the knuckles, with black and gray vertical stripes. All of this was finished with overly billowed, darkened pants that were stuffed into plain boots reaching just below the knee.


    ¡°?gnihtemos dnif uoy diD¡±


    The knight asked seeing my interest in the drawing. I nodded and pointed at the wild outfit while Eagle went off to put on his clothes. I listened in on the conversation between Barth and the shopkeeper but still unable to understand a word. The owner firmly shook his head,


    ¡®He clearly does not want to sell that outfit, but why?¡¯.


    I looked up expectantly and Barth who pulled out a medium sized pouch filled with coins.


    The owner¡¯s eyebrows would have hit the ceiling out of surprise if they could. With a big smile he ran off to the back to get my clothes. I couldn¡¯t help but feel excited at receiving a gift. Back on Earth no one ever had the kindness to do so and charity, in any form, died out a long time ago. If you wanted something, only hard or dirty work can provide¡­


    ¡®Not once did anyone even remember my birthday, except Asher.¡¯


    Approaching footsteps grabbed my attention and I saw the owner returning with a dusty pile of clothes.


    ¡®Again, aren¡¯t thos-¡¯


    I rubbed my eyes to confirm that it¡¯s actually happening, the clothes were shrinking right in front of me!


    ¡®Right, magic.¡¯


    Still keeping my head down, I entered the remaining unoccupied stall and got changed. Not sure where to place my previous sack I just handed it to Barth once I walked out and we went on our way towards the exit.


    Other than the occasional arguments, stumbles or Eagle¡¯s questions very few things happened during our walk. The one thing that got both of our interests was a new noise, a distant banging against metal that repeated over and over.


    ¡®So just like a tailor, blacksmithing a legitimate job here. Where we are.¡¯


    That¡¯s a profession that had long passed, decades even. Now only automated robots and assembly lines create any sort of metal works. I walked through the wide entrance and was immediately hit by a heat wave. Eagle seemed to be completely unaffected as he dashed from one display case to the next, stopping only for a brief second before moving on.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you hot?¡± I asked him tugging at my scarf, slightly regretting the multiple layers I chose for my outfit.


    ¡°After spending six hours laying in wait in the middle of an Afghanistan summer, I never felt heat the same way again. Besides, how could I be stopped by something so trivial when all of these weapons would be worth millions in a museum!¡± Eagle shouted back without even looking towards me.


    I started exploring the smithy from the opposite direction, inspecting the occasional sword, saber or dagger but didn¡¯t see the point.


    ¡®Shouldn¡¯t modern techniques trump the old style of metal working? Besides, I have no training or experience using anything but knives or daggers¡­¡¯.


    I reached into the gear over my back and pulled out a spare dagger while walking towards our escort.


    Making a chopping motion onto the knife I tried to carry my message across, intending to compare the weapon¡¯s differing qualities. Barth tilted his head sideways before making an ¡®o¡¯ shape with his mouth and pulling out an ordinary dagger from inside his shield,


    ¡®Clever hiding spot. Should he get disarmed, an unexpected dagger could save him¡­¡¯.


    Passing it to me hilt first, I grasped the two knives and clashed them against one another.


    Without even putting a large amount of effort, Barth¡¯s cheap dagger went right through my own as if it was made up of cheap plastic.


    ¡°Hey Eagle, did you see that?¡± I shouted to him over the constant banging of hammers on metal.


    ¡°No, what happened?¡± Eagle finally looked towards me.


    ¡°Look at this-¡± I took the two daggers and swing them at each other once more. Feeling the soft resistance of the mil-spec as it was sliced through cleanly.


    Wheeew~


    A low-pitched whistle came from Eagle,


    ¡°Damn, do you think they discovered alternate smithing techniques or¡­?¡±


    ¡°No clue, but we should probably both get one, as it will be most relevant to our past training.¡±


    I responded and continued to the other side of the displays but was similarly disappointed. There weren¡¯t any exorbitant weapons, only slight differences in the hilts and dimensions.


    The one thing I did not understand were the assortment of jewelry stone etched into Barth¡¯s armour. None of the armour in the smithy had sockets. I wanted to ask him but with out understanding of their language we¡¯d get nowhere.


    In the end we both went with a short dagger, similar length and thickness to the knives we had before and left. On our way to the next stop Eagle and I both rotated, inspected and examined the new knives. Despite its outwardly appearance, just holding the dagger in my hand instilled a feeling of power and raw strength that no rifle provided before.


    ¡®We¡¯re like kids walking out of a toy store, admiring our new possessions.¡¯


    "Hey Eagle, when was the last time you got a gift?"


    "After my parents passed away, never."


    ''Thought so...''


    "If you don''t mind me asking, how old were you when...?"


    "Seventeen, what about yours?" I immediately regretted ruining the mood so quickly.


    "I don''t remember exactly, but I was about three."


    Seeing the brief shock in Eagle''s eyes, I tried to think of something more jovial, but came up blank.


    No more than ten minutes had passed before the bustling marketplace was replaced by rapidly thinning out houses. I looked ahead and spotted the familiar blue robed man. We silently followed Barth towards Marden and together we set off towards a distant hill underneath a cloudless sky.

 Chapter 10 - Introductions

    What started out as a calm walk towards our next destination turned out to be a big, fat lie. After only several steps the pace was increased, in mere minutes the knight and mage began jogging. Having no other option, we followed suit.


    It wasn''t so bad at the start, my heart rate didn''t change much but that was my greatest concern. Despite our pace, my heart rate felt normal. Only once we were jogging at a pace that turned the side scenery, shrubs and trees, into one long, green coloured blur did I becomeaware of my heart''s pounding.


    Apparently not satisfied, the knight pushed us even further,


    ¡®Just how much longer is their test going to last?¡¯


    As I had subconsciously predicted, not until both of us were gasping for air, sweat-covered and unable to perceive anything around us would we get a break.


    ¡°C-Cato, hol-hold on.¡±


    I heard Eagle wheezed behind me. For the first time, I mustered the strength to look behind me and came to a halt. Eagle, who was behind me only a second ago, was now nearly eight meters behind me! Yet, when I scanned for the village, I noticed that it was gone.


    ¡®This is just absurd¡¯.


    ¡°Eagle, look behind you.¡±


    I pointed towards the distant speck that the village had become. Although begrudgingly at first, Eagle got up and looked behind him and too, froze.


    ¡°Wow. What a beautiful sight. To think we would have covered this much distance, we should give the Olympic Games a shot when we return!¡±


    Eagle chuckled to himself only to run out of breath and started gasping again. The view from the mountain was quite impressive, but it did not explain how we covered nearly ten kilometers within twenty minutes!


    What¡¯s more, the duo haven¡¯t even broken a sweat.


    ¡®There must be something that¡¯s allowing them to burn through so much energy, but what?¡¯


    Exhausted, I leaned on my knees to take a breather and smile.


    ¡®It¡¯s been too long since the last time I was pushed this far.¡¯


    It took a minute for me to regain my breathing. I stretched my legs and walked towards the tormentors.


    Barth took out one of his knives and brought it over his shoulder. His head slowly turned as if following something,


    ¡®What is he looking at?¡¯


    The knife turned into a blur as it flew through the air and disappeared. Yet instead of relaxing his arm the knight started reeling in an invisible rope. I caught a glimpse of a thread reflecting the Sun.


    Within minutes I could hear the distant noise of a heavy body being dragged across, and only seconds later I saw that the knife pierced through two rabbit looking creatures.


    ¡®Well, there¡¯s lunch.¡¯


    Just as I started walking towards the food, Marden placed one palm on each creature and caused them to burst ablaze.


    ¡®They don¡¯t even need a fire or logs, just a bit of magic...such a cheat¡¯.


    The mage, noticing our approach, pointed at our feet and turned around. The two started digging into their meal completely ignoring us. Suspicious of Marden¡¯s previous action, I reached forward with my hand and found an invisible wall once more.


    ¡®No charity here either, huh?¡¯.


    I dropped all my gear, except for the pistol, dagger and a single canned chicken.


    ¡°Cato? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Eagle asked me through heaves of breath.


    ¡°We¡¯re going hunting, and not for the measly rabbits they got for themselves. Leave anything unnecessary here and follow me.¡±


    I turned to my left and began walking into the forest.


    ¡®We¡¯ll show them.¡¯


    ¡°Then what¡¯s on the menu?¡±


    Eagle rested enough to catch up with me and spoke without panting.


    ¡°If there are small animals, then there are bigger ones as well. Anything higher up the food chain will do.¡±


    We walked for a good ten minutes before stopping. I took the can out of my pocket and opened it. Thankfully a special chemical was released into the food once the seal was broken, instantly cooking the food. It definitely isn¡¯t enough for a meal, but enough to draw in a predator or two.


    I beckoned Eagle to hide behind a tree directly opposite of me, with the bait being in between us.


    ¡®Now we wai - fast!¡¯


    There was a distant breathing and rustling noise as a creature walked through a bush. It resembled a starved wolf with a deep blue coat.


    ¡®Is it a loner? In that case luck is finally on our side!¡¯


    I observed as it approached the can and leaned down to sniff it. Not wasting the opportunity I aimed down my sight and fired straight at its skull. A soft pop was heard as the bullet made contact but there was no effect.


    Angered, the wolf dove straight towards me, saliva dripping from its jaw. With our cover blown, I jumped straight up with all my strength, while sailing upwards I grasped a tree branch and with the remaining momentum whipped around. At the apex of the spin I brought myself in and kicked off the branch. The power of the kick sent my flying down towards the wolf like an arrow. I took out my knife and brought it in front of me.


    There was a brief shock in the wolf¡¯s eyes but despite being unprepared for such a maneuver, but it quickly recovered and leapt to the side avoiding the blow. Having missed my target, I broke into a roll and looked in the wolf¡¯s direction. Eagle was able to reach me in time and covered by taking stabs at the wolf while avoiding lethal swipes.


    As soon I recovered I sprinted behind the wolf to try and attack from its blindspots. However, it was able to anticipate the incoming attacks and narrowly dodge every time. After a minute, a perfect opening finally showed and I rushed in, aiming at its hind paw. Yet I was only able to pierce several centimeters into its skin, just enough to draw blood but not cause significant damage.


    After that little stunt the wolf became warier of us, acting on the defence far more than offence. As we circled around, it became a continuous battle of attrition with us jumping in, taking a slash, dodging a swipe and jumping out.


    Slowly nicks and grazes built on top one another and the wolf¡¯s movements slowed, but our own stamina began to wane. The battle turned into a stalemate with both parties treading on a blade¡¯s edge, a single injury on either side signalling imminent defeat.


    A completely new feeling began to build up inside of me. However, I dismissed it as it had nothing to do with our fight. Each time I drew blood, each time I saw Eagle get harmed or sustained a cut myself that feeling continued to grow inside my stomach.


    After several more exchanges Eagle¡¯s movements became exceptionally sluggish, the wolf must of sensed the weakness and charged straight at him. Not even thinking twice, I rushed forward to tackle Eagle out of the way but the wolf suddenly stopped. It placed its entire weight on its front paws and kicked at me with its hind feet.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    With the power of the kick and my own charge I was able to pierce through one of its paws, but had to block the other with my hand which sent me flying backwards.


    The wolf limped at the motionless, exhausted Eagle, once more.


    ¡®Why isn¡¯t he moving?¡¯


    ¡®Run dammit!¡¯


    Mere inches separated the two. I watched as the wolf opened its jaw, and bit into Eagle¡¯s neck.


    Burst


    A deep, burning sensation erupted from deep within me. Like a dam that burst, like a volcano erupting, I attempted to stem the flow and convert it into power that would flow through my veins. The result was my body being racked with excruciating torment reminiscent of the electricity torture training. I bit my inner cheek and focused on the metallic taste of blood, kicking my mind into overdrive. The world slowed down, the wolf became still and the blood streaking down Eagle¡¯s neck stopped.


    ¡®I need to find a way to stop myself from going backwards...if only there was something I could jump off of¡­¡¯


    If only for a split second, I imagined the air becoming solid enough for me use as a platform and¡­


    ¡®It worked! I felt resistance!¡¯


    Somehow I could kick of off nothing but air and was now homing in on the wolf. He was still biting into Eagle¡¯s neck, but otherwise, had not even budged.


    ¡®Good, perhaps I can make it in time.¡¯


    I smiled despite slowly losing my consciousness to the pain as I cut through the wolf¡¯s neck with a single downward slash, and flew past.


    ¡®I just hope whatever I just did doesn¡¯t cost me my life.¡¯


    Through my rapidly fading vision, I could see a tree approaching and the pain of a collision.


    ********


    ¡°Looks like your friend is finally here.¡±


    An ancient and unknown voice rang through my ears.


    ¡®For all the training I went through, I couldn¡¯t even handle a wolf with someone else¡¯s aid.¡¯


    ¡®Pathetic.¡¯


    ¡°Oh it¡¯s pathetic alright. Brat or not, no man should be on their knees!¡±


    A different voice shouted, this time in a commanding manner. I dejectedly raised myself, the world still a blur as my eyes strained to focus.


    ¡°Cato, you¡¯re here as well?¡±


    I heard Eagle speak from right behind me. I turned around to see the same weirdly dressed boy standing, without any holes in his neck.


    ¡°Eagle, your neck, you¡¯re alright?¡±


    I asked, not sure of what is going on.


    ¡°My neck? Dude, what are you talking about? We were just taking a break from our long exercise.¡±


    ¡°Wait a second, you mean after jogging?¡±


    I stared dumbfounded at Eagle as he scratched the back of his head.


    ¡°Well yea, what else would be taking a break from? It¡¯s me who should be asking if you¡¯re oka-¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡±


    A third voice rang across my ears and I finally scanned the room. Eagle and I were in the middle of grandiose medieval hall suitable for kings. There were columns and arches made of pure stone, granite and marble.


    As I continued to look around I realised we were standing in the middle of a triangular room that followed the same theme but had three completely different sections. Each corner had a single throne upon which an entity sat, giving off a distinct colour. Green. Blue. Red. These colours seeped through their territory colliding with the other two, making distinct borders of where one land starts and the other finishes.


    Inside the red were all sorts of medieval armours, axes, hammers, shields, helmets, swords, lances, spears, etc. The list just kept going on and on. They were hanging on the walls, scattered over the floor and dangling in the air. All emanating a red aura that reeked of blood and adrenaline. I looked at the end to see a ripped woman in her mid-twenties on a skull throne with a smug smile on her face.


    I looked to the left where the red met blue and found the complete opposite aura. It was cold but attentive, wary but curious. It evoked an extreme curiosity within me, a hunger to read every single scroll, text and book that hung all over the walls within. In the centre of the heap of knowledge sat an old man, looking at us with all-knowing and encompassing eyes.


    Lastly there was the green territory. All the objects within seemed to defy the natural force of gravity as they floated mid air, suspended by nothing. Basking in the green glow I felt all my worries washed away, replaced with the determination to overcome any obstacle in my path.


    ¡°Welcome Cato and Eagle. I am the king of the unbroken, Azen.¡±


    A voice came from above. I looked up to see another man clad in robes floating upside down in a cross-legged position.


    ¡°Who-¡±


    I began to ask but got immediately cut off.


    ¡°I am the queen of the battle-hardened, Baudonia.¡±


    ¡°I am the king of the curious, Ercel.¡±


    ¡°Where are we?¡± I curiously asked the beings surrounding us.


    ¡°Between your realm and ours, a fake reality constructed by our minds. But that matters little. More importantly, are you ready to form the link?¡± Asked Azen.


    ¡°Link, fake reality? Please tell me I¡¯m dreaming.¡± I asked looking at Eagle.


    ¡°Cato, please, you have to listen to them.¡± Eagle responded, attempting to convince me otherwise.


    ¡°Very well, what is this link you speak of?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It is the exchange of energies to gain power. When you sleep, the dormant energy produced by your body will be taken by your link holder, in exchange, an equal amount of their own energy shall be transferred to you.¡±


    ¡°And why should I give you my energy?¡±


    ¡°For one it is useless to you and your body, it cannot be accumulated and serves no purpose. However, different beings can use the others energy to empower themselves ¨C the exchange does not cause harm for either party.¡± Answered Azen.


    ¡®If this is real, doesn¡¯t seem like I have a choice, and if it¡¯s a dream, then it doesn¡¯t really matter.¡¯


    ¡°How do I choose who to make a link with?¡± I asked Azen, seeing as how he speaks the most.


    ¡°You don¡¯t. That choice is up to us. However, due to special circumstances, Cato, you are an exception. Eagle I believe Ercel wanted you.¡±


    Azen continued talking as he approached me. I turned and watched as Eagle walked towards the blue man. The wind picked up as he approached him, turning into a violent hurricane by the time he was within a metre before they both disappeared.


    Now the room was split between Azen¡¯s and Baudonia¡¯s territories. Both of which, are now standing on either side of me.


    ¡°Normally, a creature can have only one link, but due to your unbreakable will-¡± Azen started speaking but was interrupted by Baudonia,


    ¡°And the thousands of dead following your wake.¡±


    ¡°You shall receive both of our connections, which you develop is up to you.¡±


    They both spoke at the same time and flooded me with their energy, similar to the feeling when I empowered myself to save Eagle, only less volatile.


    [Barth¡¯s Perspective]


    ¡®Those kids are something else, their sheer stamina is decades ahead of children their age¡¯.


    I pondered about the training I was going to provide the brats in order improve them even more while reeling in the two gray rabbits.


    ¡®Seeing as how we¡¯re in the woods, seeing their hunting skills would also be good¡­¡¯.


    As I brought the rabbits to Marden,


    ¡°Put up a quick barrier, I want to see how the kids hunt on their own.¡±


    With only a raised eyebrow I watched as Marden cut an imaginary line in front of the leader¡­


    ¡®Cato, I think his name was¡¯


    and began eating.


    I waited for the kids to disappeared from sight before stuffing my face and following them just in case they came upon a prey too high up the food chain.


    ¡°Just make sure to bring them back in one piece, I have used up more essence in the past two day than in the last year, and would hate to have to heal someone once more.¡± Marden called out to me as I followed the kids.


    To my surprise they did not even head that far into the forest, walking only several minutes before a mouth watering aroma entered my nostrils. Whispering the sweet promise of perfectly baked chicken of the highest quality.


    ¡®But how?¡¯


    ¡®To get a fire started and catch something without magic would be almost impossible¡­¡¯.


    I released some of my essence to pinpoint the location of the two brats and find a safe location to observe them from.


    I had just enough time to mask my essence from any creatures as a sole night wolf stalked out from a bush.


    ¡®Attracting the bigger fish with bait, huh?¡¯


    At this point I had the urge to intervene but having seen the monstrous stamina of those kids, letting them handle it seemed like a better idea.


    And it was.


    Opening the fight Cato performed an acrobatic maneuver displaying great flexibility but also overall body strength, followed by quick thinking as he turned his dodge into a form of attack.


    The other kid wasn¡¯t bad either as he attacked at the perfect intervals to throw off the wolves dodging, preventing it from evading both attacks at the same time.


    From there on out was the most beautiful fight I had ever seen. Like a masterfully choreographed dance, the kids took turns initiating an attack and covering each other¡¯s retreat with an attack of their own. Their footwork, teamwork and sheer display of skill baffled a battle-hardened warrior like myself.


    It seemed like every action taken was calculated to perfection. However, their lack of links gave the wolf an upper hand as it repeatedly hardened its hide to withstand their attacks, and would soon be able to overpower them.


    No sooner did I think of the links than a steady stream of essence started pouring out of Eagle. Subtle at first, it quickly turned into an ocean blue torch flame surrounding him.


    ¡®No way in¡­ he¡¯s forming a link?¡¯


    ¡®Now?!¡¯


    It was general knowledge that upon forming a link the person becomes completely immobile, their soul wisped away to the spirit realm. I took a quick glance at Cato to make sure he was alright before I intervened the battle. Instead spotting him sailing backwards as Eagle¡¯s sudden lack of movement left Cato exposed and forced him back.


    I dashed forward to stop the wolf but he had already bit into Eagle¡¯s neck. It knew it would take me at least a second to get there. I raised my sword and saw a blur flash by.


    Instantly, the wolf''s neck was cleanly sliced through and a nearby tree toppled from the impact. Looking over to my left, I spotted Cato lying sprawled on the ground. Several of his bones have been clearly smashed from the impact but that was by far the most trivial matter.


    Not only was I unable to follow his movement but he too, was forming a link. His essence was a blinding golden colour that was pouring out of him like a waterfall, covering his entire body and anything within a meter. Until today I have only heard of a green, blue or red link representing the three core essences, but a gold colour was just absurd!


    I carefully picked up the two brats and walked to Marden, the shock plastered over his face just might be worth putting the kids in such danger.

 Chapter 11 - No Return

    ¡°It has been an exciting month for everyone across the globe, and I am here today with none other but the dark horse heavyweight lifting, sprinting and shot put champion himself... Mike Caler!¡±


    The host turned towards the guest as the camera panned across, revealing the prodigy himself.


    ¡°Mike, your performance has been nothing short of a miracle and a testament of the strength a person can acquire through hard work and relentless practice. Why don¡¯t you let everyone know more about how the world¡¯s strongest man came to be.¡± The caster continued to smile into the camera and Mike at the same time.


    ¡°Yes, it has been a difficult road for me. Every day I ran no less than ten kilometers, one hundred push-ups, sit ups and squats without fail. There were people that laughed at me for doing such a regime. But a month ago, I was rewarded for my effort. I must have collapsed mid run and taken to a hospital. After waking up I felt a burning sensation within me.¡± The man looked down at his hands and clenched them into fists.


    ¡°At first I was scared, worried that I damaged my body and my dream of becoming an international athlete was ruined but then I looked at the time and realized a day had passed. I knew I had to get back to my family and after checking out I ran back home.¡± A low chuckle followed,


    ¡°Conveniently, my house was about ten kilometers from the hospital, I had no means of transportation other than my own two legs, yet I got back home in thirty minutes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an impressive feat, but not enough to score gold in the ten kilometer run.¡±


    The host interrupted, clearly tired of the excessive backstory.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, thing is, I wasn¡¯t pushing myself. It felt like a light jog more than anything else. So the following day I had my coach watch me run at the arena. This is when I really ran, ripping every fiber in my body to achieve the best time - something told me I could do it, and I did. I finished in twenty-five minutes.¡±


    ¡°According to your performance in the race, you finished with a staggering time of twenty four minutes. How did you achieve such improvement?¡± The host steered the conversation towards a more intriguing topic.


    ¡°I upped the frequency of my runs, from several times a week to several times a day. I would loose a second here, a second there and within two weeks I got to where I am today.¡± The man began to tear up a bit, clearly overjoyed by his success.


    The view altered, and a shaky scene recorded from a helicopter was shown.


    ¡°We are here on CNN reporting live of a bank robbery. According to the reports it is being carried out by a pair of men, only one of which is armed- Hold on a second, it appears we have been given access to a camera feed positioned outside the vault.¡± A black and white video opened up,


    ¡°Dammit, why are there no proper cameras in that building?¡± A voice muttered in the darkness, preventing anyone from knowing who it came from.


    The man dressed completely in black approached the enormous metal door and started punching it. There was no sound as the camera wasn¡¯t equipped with a microphone, but that did nothing to lessen the apparent power behind each strike. The metal was slowly, but surely bending. Showing no signs of stopping, the man kept hammering at the vault. Each strike shook the camera.


    The view switched back to the helicopter top-down perspective. The police had made a barricade around the bank with cars, using them as shields. The gave out the order to surrender or to be eliminated. A single gunshot was the response. Immediately the car covering the speaker burst ablaze.


    ¡°It appears the convict is using modified HE rounds-¡°


    The video was fast forwarded, all of the vehicles were burning brightly and a quick change in cameras showed the man had finally banged a hole large enough to crawl through inside the vault itself.


    The hologram flickered out and the lights returned.


    ¡°Stories like these have become the norm over the past month. From the shattering of Olympic records, to bank heists, mass murders and upheave of orders.¡±


    A man called Ignatius opened the meeting once again in a dimly lit room. The metallic table was surrounded by people of high ranking sitting behind it, stacks of files and paper in front of each of them.


    ¡°Several of our own agents have undergone such... improvements. All of them described the sensation reminiscent of a slight electric shock running through their body. Further tests of electricity showed no signs to trigger or cause anything out of the ordinary.¡±


    A man in charge of the the biological sector had stood up, explaining his findings and taking a pause to bring up new videos onto the hologram. The spectators watched as people performed various physical exercises, lifting absurd weights, balancing atop of spoons while upside down and more.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    ¡°There was no correlation between the affected, taking place at random. The effects brought by this upgrade vary from increased strength, speed, reaction, balance and hand eye co-ordination. Combinations of both are few, but possible. We are working to figure out the true cause, but there are no negatives observed so far.¡±


    With a wave of his hand, the man dismissed the videos and sat down.


    ¡°Lastly, when scanning the bodies, we detected a strange form of radiation, the equipment couldn¡¯t decipher it or place it onto the known electromagnetic spectrum, only labeling as undefined. We asked the research section if they have encountered anything of the sort¡­¡±


    ¡°Ahem¡­¡±


    The man in charge of research stood up,


    ¡°As just mentioned, the form of radiation is indeed unique, and just calling it radiation is technically incorrect. The only reason that it was picked up in the first place was due to the extreme sensitivity of our equipment that would not be present in hospitals around the world. Thus, this knowledge should be relatively safe for the time being. As for the... radiation itself, no information about it is known or has been discovered, we found no method of altering it, affecting it or anything else other than being able to detect it.¡±


    Repeating the exact motions of the previous speaker, images and videos began to flood the table instead of the hologram this time.


    ¡°Moreover, this form of radiation was found in NASA¡¯s data servers, encrypted and hidden along with the images you see before you. All of these are from Mars.¡±


    Absolute silence swept over the room. There, satellite images depicting parts of green, blue and white all over a planet. All traits clearly unique to Earth, traits that takes many millennia to form, not a mere month¡¯s worth.


    ¡°Since the satellites were not created for detecting the new radiation, only vague traces of it have been picked up originating from Mars. The reason for the sudden formation of water, a suitable ozone layer and presence of vegetation is also unknown and has been severely suppressed by governments around the world. However, it is only time until this is leaked, or an image slips past the censorship.¡±


    The man sat down and looked towards Ignatius, who was now rubbing his temples, as did everyone else.


    ¡°That explains the strained meetings between American, European and Asian leaders. Those rats keeping silent while placing knives against each other¡¯s throats.¡±


    Ignatius spoke up for a brief moment.


    ¡°Thatchell, would it be possible for us to take control of this situation?¡±


    A man half-way across the table spoke up,


    ¡°...Sorry sir, if you could clarify as to what you mean by, ¡®taking control¡¯¡±.


    ¡°With the appearance of empowered humans, the normal hierarchy is being thrown out of place, off balance. This is the perfect opportunity for us to step out of the darkness and into the light, become the leading global power.¡±


    No one dared to even blink, too busy processing what just been said. For decades the organisation has led from the shadows, indirectly influencing global decisions for their own gain. Eventually rising to the top of their field before taking over all the others, military, technology, diplomacy anything that can be named, the organisation had a hand in it.


    ¡°But sir, would that not raise countless questions about our pasts and where we came from? Both of which have been thoroughly removed. Not to mention that we would be making an enemy out of every government there is?¡±


    Thatchell had stood up, taking his position as the speaker.


    ¡°Please, the governments are now a joke, bending to the will and whim of the large corporations. We have the key to every single leader¡¯s closet containing their skeletons, simple blackmail will keep them silent. The corporations wouldn¡¯t dare to act directly against the government knowing that we are behind it. We will end up using some of our greatest trump cards in trade for something greater. The global population.¡±


    ¡°Would the current chaos be enough to have people follow a company that appeared overnight?¡±


    Thatchell continued to voice the doubts circulating through the minds of all present.


    ¡°Open your eyes, the world is falling apart, the media heavily controlled, the dam is about to burst and the truth close to emerging. People are gaining massive powers and doing whatever they want, robbing banks, performing rape and murder as they feel like it. Normal ammunition completely useless, with anything below a forty five caliber leaving little less than a bruise. Once such people started ganging up, special ops became a necessity to take on such groups.¡±


    Ignatius scanned the faces around the room.


    ¡°The fake happiness enforced by democracy is completely falling apart as people are afraid of terrorist attacks with most response force¡¯s hands being tied by random groups of superhumans.¡±


    Ignatius took a breath and motioned for Thatchell to continue.


    ¡°Very well, but under what pretext shall we control everyone? We have nothing other than¡­¡± Thatchell stopped, eyes widened in realization.


    ¡°Exactly, we will use the withheld information and release to the public in all languages at the same time. We will make ourselves known while keeping the government''s quiet, unable to respond for fear of digging a bigger grave than the one we have provided them. With all the information released at once, we will state that the empowerment is next, a natural step in a humanity¡¯s evolution.


    ¡°We shall then give everyone around the world a goal and a hope to unite behind. That they too can take this step along with everyone else should we discover the heart of the truth on Mars. The origin of this strange so called radiation.¡±


    Another man stood up, head of the research department,


    Sir, manned missions are at least a decade, the technology simply too unstable. Although the development of habitable conditions greatly increased our progress, it would still take a decade at our current pace.¡±


    Ignatius once more motioned to take his seat


    ¡°Did you not hear me? We are not simply stepping into the light, we will be at the forefront of it, eclipsing everyone else in the shadow that we create ourselves. We will take quick action to stomp all of the global terrorist attacks, develop a method of detecting this strange radiation and intercepting anyone in possession of it for global safety. All while forcing the governments to support us and our claims as well as speed up the colonization of Mars, a colony that will be solely under our control.¡±


    Having finished his explanation Ignatius took a sip out of his still steaming, black coffee.


    ¡°Everyone is to fully co-operate on this operation, we will have one, and only one chance at this. I want all of this data ready to be uploaded and distributed all over the web and television. The governments must also be told to stay quiet when we take action. Further instructions will be sent to each one of you later today. Any questions or problems shall be immediately sent to me. Is everyone aware of their job and what is at stake?¡±


    Everyone present answered in unison,


    ¡°Yes sir!¡±


    ¡°Dismissed.¡±


    As everyone departed from the room, Ignatius resumed his drink and watched the false media reports on the hologram.

 Chapter 12 - Return

    I cracked my eyelids open from what felt like an eternal slumber. With every beat of the heart a dull and distant pain reverberated throughout my body. The bed¡¯s heavenly embrace urged me to remain, continue sleeping for another eternity.


    ¡®When was the last time I slept so heavily? So carefree? I need to be more careful¡­¡¯


    There were only wooden planks above me. I closed my eyes to tried to drift asleep but my parched throat forced me out of bed in search of water. A single window let a hazy ray of sunlight illuminate the room. There was a modest cabinet standing against a wall with a silver tray with intricately painted jug and a metal cup.


    ¡®Who left this? Now that I mention it, how many more times will I lose consciousness before being satisfied? More importantly, am I a hostage or a guest?


    No, if they had ill intentions a comfy bed would not be the way to go¡¯.


    I greedily downed the water and mused over my last memory, of the strange meeting with Eagle and those other people?


    ¡®Was it just a dream?...


    ...Perhaps¡¯.


    Still, I¡¯d need to find Eagle to confirm it. Wasting no time, I grabbed the clothes off the foot of the bed frame, got dressed and walked out the door. On the other side was a simple interior balcony overlooking the first floor. It was in an old-fashioned cabin with a fireplace on one side, several windows for lighting and pieces of furniture lazily sprawled in a way that created a sense of pleasant coziness.


    ¡®Where is everyone?¡¯


    There was an eerie lack of noise and commotion, as if the place was abandoned. I put off exploring the place until I find where Eagle or the two monsters are. Thus, I headed for the exit, opened the door and ¡­nothing.


    ¡®Just where the fuck is everyone?¡¯


    I circled around the cabin, which revealed little more than trees and shrubs.


    ¡®I wonder if he ¡­¡¯


    Sure enough, there were subtle clues leading me to where Eagle went. Two snapped twigs followed by a leaf stuck to a tree by sap at eye-level. Coupled with avoiding other fake, or out of order signs I had no difficulty following the breadcrumb trail left for me.


    It took a little while of traversing more forest before a faint smell of something burning became apparent. As I followed the scent, rumbling noises of distant collisions or impacts became audible.


    Another short while and I came across a perfectly square clearing. Without warning, the trees suddenly gave way taking the refreshing scent of leaves and grass with them


    ¡®Eagle! Is he ¡­ ok?¡¯


    He was sprinting across the clearing, chased by the old guy. An invisible wall stopped me from helping him out.


    ¡®Goddamn Marden and his tricks¡­magic?¡¯


    The urge to shout his name welled up but I dismissed it, knowing the risk it posed.


    After a short cat and mouse chase Eagle got trapped in a corner of the invisible wall,


    ¡®That fool, he made that mistake so many times!¡¯


    Never let yourself be cornered or trapped, figuratively or literally was among the first lessons drilled into every recruit¡¯s skulls, and Eagle completely messed it up.


    *Sigh*


    I plopped myself down next to the barrier and continued to watch the spectacle before me. It was obvious what was going on. I gritted my teeth,


    Training.


    There were now a dozen fireballs leisurely orbiting around Marden. Without a single motion each of them shot towards Eagle, each leaving a trickled flame behind.


    ¡®Well shit.¡¯


    They had absolutely no affect on Eagle, simply flickering out of existence mere inches from him.


    ¡®I gotta get him to teach me how to put out fires like that.¡¯


    Marden wasn¡¯t finished and created half a dozen icicles that shot forward immediately. I looked forward to seeing a neat magic trick,


    ¡®Come on, make them disappear¡¯.


    Sadly, instead of disappearing, angled pieces of ice no more than a cm in length and width, intercepted and deflected the projectiles with stunning precision.


    Despite not taking any physical damage, Eagle was slouched and breathing heavily. The previous feats clearly took more energy than immediately obvious. A quick shimmer flashed before me, I reached out with my foot and found the barrier gone.


    ¡°Eagle, tired already?¡±


    I shouted and jogged towards him. A flash of surprise crossed his face before being replaced by exhaustion once more.


    ¡°Cato, you¡¯re finally awake! And here I worried about having to feed you for the rest of my life.¡±


    He took a step towards me and looked at Marden.


    ¡°.worromot rof ydaer dna deeps ot pu dneirf ruoy teg ,ffo yad eht fo tser eht ekat nac uoY¡±


    More gibberish left the magician¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°.uoy knahT¡±


    It was my turn to look surprised, Cato was able to reply in the strange language without a hitch.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Alright, Cato, I¡¯m sure you have a ton of questions so ask away.¡±


    With that, Eagle beckoned for me to follow him as we headed back to the cabin, a grin plastered across his face.


    ¡°Can Marden and Barth understand us?¡±


    ¡°Nope, I learned their language while you were out cold, but Marden hasn¡¯t gotten a grasp on it yet and Barth didn¡¯t even bother.¡±


    ¡°Wait, how fast did you learn it? A day, week? I couldn¡¯t have been out for much longer¡­¡±


    I sighed inwardly expecting the worst. A snicker came from Eagle as he continued to lead down the path,


    ¡°Hah, you wish, you were out for about a month, assuming the days here are the same as on Earth. At the very least they seem that way.¡±


    Eagle stopped abruptly and looked to his side.


    ¡°A¡­month? Just what exactly happened back there? I remember you spacing out, I gained an enormous amount of power and killed the wolf. Then immediately met you in a ¡­dream?¡±


    By this point Eagle was keenly staring to our right, a foot long icicle screeching as it spun at head level. However, the last part caught his attention and he stopped.


    ¡°Oh good, so we¡¯re on the same page here.¡±


    The icicle flew off with enough speed that it seemed to practically disappear,


    ¡°That meeting was eating away at me for a while now. From what I understood, we weren¡¯t supposed to remember much, short segments at most.¡±


    Eagle beckoned for me to follow once more,


    ¡°Why weren¡¯t we supposed to remember anything? And where are we headed now?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Hah, nice one - to get our breakfast of course.¡±


    Eagle briefly chuckled before jogging away, leaving me behind.


    ¡®Fast!¡¯


    I chased after Eagle, dodging several trees and branches in the process before finally gaining on him.


    Eagle was crouched over a dead rabbit-looking creature, gutting it without pause.


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®we weren''t supposed to remember anything¡¯? What was that we saw in the first place?¡±


    Eagle turned towards me ever so slowly, revealing the wildest and most mischievous grin a human could manage.


    ¡°Spirits, magic, link. And we got all three!-¡±


    ¡°Damn it Eagle, stay focused!¡±


    I interrupted him before the train completely derailed. With a slight shake of his head, Eagle finished the messy ordeal.


    ¡°Have you ever seen movies where people had fire, ice, electricity or some other gibberish power leaking from their fingertips?¡±


    Eagle wiggled all of his fingers for added flair.


    ¡°Sure, those fantasy films with magic. Something like what you were doing with Marden. But what does that have to do with the dream?¡±


    ¡°Right, those are referred to as spirits. There were only three types, curious and intellectual, warrior and survivor. Each represented by various shade of blue, red and green. Allegedly, a huge amount of essence surrounds a child when a link is performed at which point, the child comes into contact with the spirit.¡±


    Eagle got up and carried the bunny by its ears.


    ¡°Beyond this, things get murky and unclear because there hasn¡¯t been a single case of anyone remembering what happened as clearly as us - not even close. Just the spirit''s appearance is speculated by most. Which is why neither of us will reveal what we saw to anyone. We would be treated as test subjects coveted by all nations and hermits.¡±


    Eagle stopped and looked me dead in the eye,


    ¡°Before I continue, I need you to tell me what happened after I left.¡±


    I recalled the events to the best of my ability after his disappearance in the vortex, including the part about my receiving two blessings.


    ¡°Hahaha, you my friend, are the pinnacle of bullshit, misfortune and luck, all at the same time. I can¡¯t even-¡±


    Eagle lost it, laughing and snorting to himself as I stood there dumbfounded.


    ¡°Does it have to do with the fact that you said there ¡®were¡¯ three types?¡±


    ¡°Ding, ding, ding! Before you, anyone could only have one connection at a time, no exception. Ever. However, when I looked at your essence, it wasn¡¯t green, blue or red but yellow. A powerful, solid and heavenly golden colour that goes against everything that has been known.¡±


    Eagle returned to his jovial self and continued to lead the way back.


    ¡°Long story short, no one, by which I mean myself and the two guys, have any idea of what kind of power you have, your affinity or affinities but one thing is certain. The degree of power you have received would make any king¡¯s or hero''s mouth water to the point where they would rather kill you than let you live if not bound under their control. I¡¯m in the same boat as you in terms of raw power.¡±


    ¡°Got it, keep my mouth shut, my power concealed as much as possible until we both know more of this world and have the ability to protect ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Bingo.¡±


    Eagle made a gun hand gesture at me. Despite the barrage of answers Eagle shot at me I had one more question,


    ¡°One more thing, was that really magic? Or is there some scientific explanation?¡±


    The cabin¡¯s outline became visible beyond the trees.


    ¡°No idea. For now, it may as well be scientifically classified as an anomaly of all physics. Making something out of nothing other than this mysterious energy in your body. If I had some equipment to analyze data, or heck, at least have access to my computer without its battery running out...¡±


    Eagle shook his head and picked up his pace.


    Within minutes both of us were inside the cabin, Eagle sustaining a fire while I walked room to room. The design was simple enough, a large lounge area surrounded a fireplace which was about eight meters to the left of the front door. I passed Eagle to the side opposite of the entrance where the storage section was, separated by a wall that spanned until it was opposite of the door.


    To the right of which were two small bedrooms underneath another pair of bedrooms, in one of which I awoke. The only way to access them was a spiral staircase directly right of the door.


    ¡°Hey wanderer, why don¡¯t you grab some potatoes and start peeling them?¡±


    Eagle shouted to me.


    ¡°Rabbit and potatoes? Since when did those two go together?¡±


    I asked, slightly skeptical.


    ¡°My good old friend, don¡¯t judge a book by its cover, how ¡®bout it? Just go and peel them. Also, they are called bonis in their language ¨C almost like bunnies.¡±


    Eagle dismissed my remark with a wave of his hand, leaving me no room but to do as he said. It didn¡¯t take long to find a suitable pot and the stash of ¡®tatoes as I enjoy calling them,


    ¡°Where¡¯s the tap¡­ or water?¡± I yelled across the room.


    ¡°Just have the pot face me.¡±


    A reply came. Curious, I walked towards the empty door frame and had a split second to react as jets of water came flying in my direction. I threw the pot all over the place in an attempt to catch them all, spilling about a quarter in the process. Leaving me thoroughly soaked.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you just, oh I don¡¯t know, actually had the water flow in a steady stream instead of spraying me?¡±


    I snapped at him as water dripped off my face.


    ¡°Sorry, I haven¡¯t learned to control it well enough yet.¡±


    Eagle did his best to stifle a laugh but his voice gave it away.


    ¡®This guy¡­¡¯


    I swore to pay him back, but for now, peeling and cutting potatoes took precedence. Seeing as how each was nearly twice the size of my fist¡­ seven should do. Sitting down, I began peeling with ease - living with Asher for years gave me plenty practise. Both of us had to learn various skills in order to survive, cooking was just one of mine.


    ¡®Wonder where Eagle learned to cook...¡¯


    Even then it took me no more than two minutes to completely skin, cut and have the potatoes submerged in the water - a new record.


    Within twenty minutes we had a hearty breakfast that could very well serve as dinner. Fried potatoes, rabbit and some kind of salad. As we dug in,


    ¡°So Cato, what now?¡±


    Eagle broke the relaxed atmosphere.


    ¡°My goal has and still is the same. Tell me, do you have a way a back to Earth?¡± I asked Eagle.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Do we have enough strength to ensure our survival? Do we know enough of this world and its inhabitants to avoid problems?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Heck, the monster I came across could easily take out ten tanks, thousands of soldiers and laugh about it. Could we do the same?¡±


    ¡°No¡±


    A single answer came from Eagle,


    ¡®Our situation is pretty damn bad¡­¡¯


    ¡°I suppose tomorrow I will be included in the training regime?¡±


    ¡°Yup, I figured that Barth should be back by then.¡±


    ¡°Then we will take their kindness while we fix our first two issues before moving on. We should also do our best to repay them in the future. Any problems with that?¡±


    I took a mouthful of steaming potatoes and savored the taste.


    ¡°Nope, in fact, I was hoping for such an answer. For me, this is like a dream come true.¡±


    I cherished every bit of peace and rest I had before the torture session began.

 Chapter 13 - Something New

    ¡°Name the four different empires in order of their military power!¡±


    Barth shouted while leisurely swinging his sword around. Eagle hurriedly translated for me while shielding us from Marden¡¯s magical onslaught.


    ¡°Foreil, Lavir, Trill and¡­ ¡°


    The name of the last one escaped me, gifting me a powerful jab from the wooden claymore. Not even a second had passed as Barth charged towards Eagle whose focus was elsewhere and I was down. I gritted my teeth and jumped to intercept Barth, initiating a new round of strikes, dodges, parries and blocks.


    ¡°The last is Alluaire, what is its and Lavir¡¯s specialty?¡±


    Once more, Eagle translated for me, at the same time deflecting hundreds of frozen projectiles. Meanwhile, Barth and I were locked in a flurry of attacks, our hands long transformed into a blur. I started shouting the answers,


    ¡°Lavir is known for its unique breed of lavender that has exceptional uses in both medicine and poison. Alongside the plethora of other herbs growing in the vicinity the country also established the most pronounced hospitals. Also the alleged Rejected Grave¡¯s headquarters are said to be in Lavir.


    As I strained my brain to recall the hastily taught information Barth did not relent his assault.


    I stopped talking and focused on throwing some of my own attacks into the mix instead of solely defending, giving Eagle an opportunity to translate. The best I could manage were several light taps on the knight¡¯s arms and legs and in return received bruises all over my body from his claymore.


    The brutal training went on until both Eagle and I had completely exhausted our essence, bruised, battered and on the ground panting. Although it took only a minute.


    Completely drained we lay on the dirt as Barth and Marden had a one-sided conversation with Eagle, leaving what I presumed to be pieces of advice before leaving.


    I knew Eagle would translate it for me later, but first we had to catch our breath and regain the strength to stand.


    ¡°That¡¯s some workout, huh?¡±


    Eagle complained while sitting cross-legged, leaning back on his hands.


    ¡°It¡¯s only the fifth day but the intensity surpassed even the organisation¡¯s bootcamps.¡±


    I replied, sprawled in a star formation on the ground.


    ¡°Whatever, how much longer do you think we will have to put up with this?¡± I asked,


    ¡°No clue, I can tell that they are excited about our progress, despite saying otherwise. It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t feel right. Ever since I started using this essence I relied on whether something felt right or wrong to improve. But at the same time, something keeps nagging at the back of my head, telling me it''s all wrong.¡±


    Eagle rested enough to get into a cross legged position. I decided to follow suit and sat up.


    ¡°Sorry man, I¡¯m not one for science, much less magic but the only thing I can ask is, why is your flame so¡­ yellow? I thought the best ones were blue or something.¡±


    ¡°Well, yea. No matter what I try, I can¡¯t improve the flame at all, more power, less power, it doesn¡¯t change. Marden said it takes years for people to even achieve a blue tint, and decades to achieve three quarters blue. Something to do with control and visualisation. But none of it made sense.¡±


    Eagle created a tiny wisp above his palm.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try it the same way as on Earth? I¡¯m sure it has to do with the ratio of air and fuel, have you tried that?¡±


    I asked Eagle a simple question.


    ¡°Hah, first of all, its oxygen, second of a-¡±


    Eagle went wide-eyed, the little wisp in his hand turned completely blue for a fraction of a second.


    ¡°There you go, not so hard now was it?¡±


    I chuckled to myself. However, Eagle was still frozen and wide eyed, staring at his palm.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s the problem?¡±


    Perhaps an illusion but I swear there is steam coming out of the guy¡¯s ears.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    Very slowly Eagle turned his head towards me.


    ¡°What the fuck? DUDE! Do you have any idea what this means!?¡±


    Eagle was borderline shouting from happiness.


    ¡°I was so caught up in the fantasy of magic that I forgot to check the most basic things!¡±


    ¡°Calm down and explain. What happened?¡± I asked Eagle.


    ¡°As you suggested I tried lowering the oxygen levels around the flame, but I lacked the control to allow just oxygen to pass through, so I let the entire atmosphere in and, and it worked! The essence allows me, us, to directly control matter and the atoms!¡±


    Eagle leapt to his feet.


    ¡°Still too fast, allow the atmosphere where? And are atoms those little spherical things that make up everything?¡±


    I never had the opportunity to attend a school, so most of my knowledge is random pieces of information I would grasp from the occasional conversation.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Atoms make up everything, and with essence, I was working with them directly this entire time! But how? Just what is this essence?¡±


    Eagle stopped with his fists clenched.


    ¡°And like a blind sheep I followed the advice without doubting it¡­¡±


    Eagle¡¯s voice trailed off, the spark in his eyes flickered for a moment.


    ¡°As for allowing air in and out, a rough explanation is that when you cast a fireball, one must use their essence to create an invisible zone within which they have complete control. Before that I was told to block everything out, and only create from within.¡±


    He took a second to catch his breath and calm down.


    ¡°With this, there are no boundaries for me! With the knowledge of science and this essence, I could literally do whatever I want. The inhabitants of this world completely neglected research in the natural and most likely have no idea what exactly they are doing¡­ That would explain why it takes so long for them to make progress if at all.¡±


    ¡°Well, glad I could help.¡±


    I replied with a dry tone, ticked that Eagle received a major increase in power while I am stuck with spreading essence through my body.


    ¡°Hold on Cato, how did you say you empower yourself?¡±


    Eagle asked, his pupils literally turning into question marks.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it myself too well, instead of projecting the essence outside like you, I spread it through my entire body. I imagine all of it in my stomach and with each breath it spreads in streams all over.¡±


    I focused the little amount I had recovered while we rested.


    ¡°Can you focus in just one area? Say, just your index finger?¡±


    Eagle had his hand clasped around my finger now.


    ¡°I could try, but it¡¯s extremely difficult, it¡¯s something is blocking its path and I am forcefully pushing it through.¡±


    Nevertheless, I did my best to extort a measly amount of essence to my right index finger.


    ¡°Hmm, I see. Let¡¯s try something that could potentially empower you to the same degree as I did. Although¡­ this will require some book time¡­¡±


    Eagle¡¯s voice trailed off again.


    ¡°You said the energy comes from your stomach right? That¡¯s similar to my own. Instead of picturing just your finger. We¡¯ll keep it simple and imagine a stream slowly heading up your stomach, up until it reaches the point where your clavicles, err, collarbones meet.¡±


    Eagle pointed to the various body parts as he called them out.


    I followed his lead and despite feeling silly, it was working. I could control the stream of essence to a much higher degree, it didn¡¯t feel like being pushed somewhere it didn¡¯t want to go.


    ¡°Now down from your shoulder, down your biceps and triceps, elbow, forearms, wrist, palm and finger. Well, how did that feel?¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Eagle asked expectantly.


    ¡°Not bad, instead of forcefully pushing it through my body it was a like a river that I controlled. Far more efficient. Yet, I still feel like a large portion of it was still lost.¡±


    I replied both excited and worried.


    ¡°Well, from what I can tell that is natural. In order for us to guide this essence, we must posses a strong understanding of where it goes and what it must do. In your case, you have to guide it from body part to body part, organ to organ. You will need an intricate and thorough understanding of your entire body. What I told you was a simplified path from stomach to finger, and perhaps not the most efficient.¡±


    Eagle sighed, glad that he could help me out as I did.


    Regardless my mood had been severely crippled.


    ¡®I just can¡¯t stand studying, sitting in one spot just bothers me too much¡¯.


    ¡°I suppose that means I just got another subject dropped onto me to learn?¡±


    I asked dejectedly, the enthusiasm of the previous discoveries completely gone.


    ¡°You bet. Just one thing, how much should we reveal to the other two? While your effects might take a while to appear, mine will be immediate and obvious.


    ¡°Just do your freaking best. They have seen what we can do so far and did nothing about it. Should we impress them more, then their desire to keep us safe will only grow. After all, why would they just suddenly stop?¡±


    As I talked I was already practising moving the essence around my body. Only this time I did my best to name and visualize the various muscles and organs.


    ¡°I was hoping you would say that. Anyway, why don¡¯t we head back to the cabin and resume your studies, after all, you don¡¯t have any excuses to complain.¡±


    A mischievous smile formed on Eagle, and I mentally prepared myself for the lessons that are to come.


    ********


    [Barth¡¯s Perspective]


    ¡®It¡¯s been five days and Cato has shown baffling amount of potential as a warrior. Every single move he made seemed to be refined over the course of decades, his ability to anticipate an attack matching, if not surpassing my own.¡¯ I thought to myself, overlooking the clearing.


    ¡®The brats were sprawled on the dirt recovering in complete silence. Their progress far surpassed anything imagined possible, even the word prodigy would be inadequate to describe either of them. The only problem we couldn¡¯t solve was Cato.


    His essence was one of a kind and showed affinity with a warrior, and his skill truly demonstrates that. When tested for a magician he failed. Marden decided that it left two possibilities, either he could utilize both warrior and telekinetic abilities or his affinity as a warrior completely unprecedented.


    It was how we agreed to always watch over Cato, in case something happened that would give us a glimpse of his true power.


    ¡®Oh? They are able to sit up already? Well, there goes the previous record.


    Sigh


    There¡¯s just no stopping them. It won¡¯t even take a year at their progress to break into the top ten percent of the people at the guild. Heck they''re probably at mid gold level as things stand. I spotted Eagle creating a feeble flame above his palm, a clear yellow.


    ¡®I wonder how much longer until he hits the blue phase-¡¯


    There it was. For a brief moment the entire flame turned a pale blue. Forget the blue phase, the kid skipped it entirely and broke through into the pale process! A stage unobtainable by most!


    ¡®If Eagle made a breakthrough, just what were they talking about?¡¯.


    I didn¡¯t see anything drastic happen¡­


    I focused my essence in my eyes to inspect Cato¡¯s essence,


    ¡®good thing we haven¡¯t taught them to conceal themselves¡¯.


    After seeing Eagle¡¯s sudden improvement I feared that Cato would be left behind, but although rough, a clear trickle of essence can be seen moving through his body. It was headed towards the index finger, that amount of control takes no less time to learn than Eagle¡¯s feat.


    ¡®Just what did they say to each other to improve by such leaps and bounds??¡¯


    I was torn between the desire to let Marden know of what has just happened and keeping watch.


    ¡®No, I need to remain here in case something else happens.¡¯


    Just to think that after a week of collective training our pupils have come so far. It was staggering to say the least. ¡®Perhaps we should take them to the guild in a month or so, give them a taste of the real world, heh. Now won¡¯t that be an eye opener for them?¡¯


    I quit my musings and started to move out of Eagle¡¯s line of sight as both Marden and I learned that the kid will pinpoint your location within minutes, or seconds if he caught moving.


    A shiver ran down my spine as I circled around them and imagined him enhancing his sight with essence, ¡®would he spot me with his eyes closed?¡¯ Will there even be a blind spot in his vision?¡¯


    After several more minutes the brats got up and headed for the cabin. Despite their breakthroughs, Cato¡¯s face was twisted in a bittersweet smile while Eagle was grinning ear to ear - last time he did that a barrage composed of half a dozen elemental attacks nearly made it past Marden¡¯s defences. The only thing that saved us was Eagle¡¯s subsequent fainting due to complete exhaustion of his essence.


    Not much happened once they entered the cabin, and for a while all was quiet. Yet soon enough an occasional smack and groan came from inside their room.


    ¡®Just what is going on in there?¡¯


    ********


    It¡¯s been a whole week. I stood in the clearing, tapping a finger with my hands crossed. Those damn kids holed up inside their room for the entire, god damn week! How could they completely ignore us? At last, sweet, sweet revenge shall come as their time, and our patience ran out. When the room they occupied got blasted to smithereens, it was clear that the kids had too much free time.


    Now that it came to this, Marden and I are about to beat a week¡¯s worth of training into them for what they¡¯ve done.


    ¡°Barth, I still cannot be anything but skeptical of what you told me. For Eagle to achieve that stage of fire control, and Cato learning to manipulate inner essence, my expectations of them are rather high now.¡±


    Marden sat cross-legged, a pace or two away from me


    ¡°If only I could understand their language better, we could have had some luck eavesdropping. But their structure is too irregular and the lack of gender nouns only worsens it.¡±


    Marden continued to ramble on about something.


    ¡°Why does it matter? They¡¯re going to be here within minutes. After we¡¯re done we can ask them all day long.¡±


    No sooner than I had said that, Eagle and Cato came into the clearing. While physically nothing changed, there was a certain air around them.


    Their demeanor no longer that of a child but someone intimate with death. Just looking in their eyes I could tell, there would be no more joking. I raised the practise claymore and looked sideways at Marden. To my surprise he was placing several defencive barriers around both of us, the curious look in his eyes gone.


    ¡°You know, by placing these barriers you¡¯re making me feel like we¡¯re actually in danger, hah.¡±


    I let a low chuckle escaped me before facing the kids once more. Cato was holding out his hand, slowly curling each of his fingers,


    ¡®A countdown huh? Intere-¡¯


    Cato completely sailed past me, with speed several times faster than the last time we fought. His target was Marden, but why? I took a single step forward and sensed numerous objects flying towards me.


    Not even a moment was spared as I kicked myself into overdrive. Spreading essence through my eyes and arms in order to deflect the incoming projectiles. The first second was a breeze as I blocked no less than twenty of the ice fragments, but after that I was forced into an uncomfortable position.


    The projectiles became more and more numerous until they came at me from all sides. There was no way to block all of them so I dashed forward, creating a path of escape by force. Having avoided most of the attack, I planned to breakthrough the remaining ice darts but the ground gave way and I slipped.


    ¡®When did he- ?¡¯


    I had no time to recover and the barrier flashed under Eagle¡¯s bombardment.


    ¡®Damn, thank god Marden placed it in advance.¡¯


    I rolled forward before breaking into a charge, straight for Eagle. Except he was no longer there. Instead, I felt my instincts screaming of danger behind me. I turned around in time to catch Cato swinging at me. It was fast, but it seemed like he was holding back. I casually flicked my sword to counter his.


    Only too late did I catch a brief flash of essence coating his sword at the moment of impact. He cleanly sliced through the wood and impacted the barrier. Once more it flashed from the impact only this time it completely gave way.


    Regardless, it bought me enough time to hop backwards and look over at Marden. Eagle was violently throwing kicks and punches while at the same time casting countless fireballs and other projectiles from point blank range.


    ¡®Just what have they been doing for the past week? What kind of mage engages in melee?!¡¯


    I refocused, this time not holding back and rushed at Cato. Instead of bracing himself he stood there, in the same spot. A smug grin formed on my face as I realized my speed was too much for him to track.


    I lowered my half-sword for an attack, with enough force to send him flying. Moments away from the impact Cato exploded in a blur of movement appearing a bit to my side, aiming a jab at my guts. I twisted my body and deflected his attack. I forgot to tone down the essence and sent Cato spiralling backwards.


    Fury burned in his eyes. As he finished half of his backflip, he kicked off of¡­ air?


    ¡®What the fuck?¡¯


    I didn¡¯t have time to process what just happened and could only side step as Cato flew past me once more. Killing his momentum with a roll, he stood up and looked at his feet in confusion.


    ¡®Doesn¡¯t seem like he know how he did that!¡¯


    I roared aloud to shake up the brat and dashed forward once more, this time examining his essence control by augmenting my eyes. I was shocked to see him covered in a thin, but highly dense aura that not only gave him overall protection and enhancement, but masked his interior essence.


    ¡®Very commendable for a child, but he needs a lot more practise to hide from me.¡¯


    There were gaps and holes all over that I could look through,


    ¡®Wha-?¡¯.


    Instead of encasing himself with the essence, there were small bursts all over. As Cato dashed forward I could see it better, he strategically applied essence in spherical bursts in the parts of his body that needed it most.


    ¡®Interesting, extremely unorthodox.¡¯


    He swung his sword down, but something was odd. I covered my claymore with the same amount of essence as Cato, his eyes weren¡¯t those of worry, but pity. As our swords were about to collide Cato surged all of his essence into his strike,


    ¡®Hah, novice mistake!¡¯


    I enhanced my half-sword even further and put more power behind the strike until I saw it. At once all of the essence surged from Cato¡¯s sword into his legs and hands, abandoning even his body¡¯s defence.


    Despite this there was not enough time for me to redirect my attack, or for Cato to avoid the collision,


    ¡®Just what is he up to?¡¯


    Cato let go of the sword completely and jumped at me, everything focused on his feet for a split second before being surged into his hands. He started spiraling through the air and grabbed my wrist, twisting it inwards.


    ¡®Martial arts??¡¯


    The damn kid did well to bait my attack, despite surging a plethora of essence into my arm, the damage has been dealt as the wrist got locked inwards and my arm violently twisted behind my back. He got me into a powerful lock that would restrain me if not for the large disparity in the amount of essence between us.


    I was forced to use nearly half of my reserves to brute force my way out and not have anything in my arm shattered or broken. Despite sending Cato flying across the clearing with that movement, it was clear who the winner was.


    ¡®The brat came a long way, if he were to enter the adventurer¡¯s guild, a low diamond rank is practically guaranteed.¡¯


    I threw my sword to the side and looked at the battle between Marden and Eagle. The other kid was on the ground panting,


    ¡®Must have ran out of essence just like his friend.¡¯


    Still, Marden¡¯s outfit had countless tears and scorch marks and even a slight trickle of blood from his cheek. Something that I¡¯d have to go full out to accomplish. Meanwhile Eagle didn¡¯t have a single speck of dirt on him.


    ¡°So Marden, what do you think?¡±


    He smiled at me smugly,


    ¡°I told you it was a good idea to take them in.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but laugh a bit, we truly raised a pair of monsters.


    ¡°What do you think about them getting a job and paying for the repairs?¡±


    I asked while walking towards Cato, giving him a hand to stand up.


    ¡°I believe it is time for us to have a taste of the real world, and with that, our duty shall be finished.¡±


    Marden outstretched his hand and started to heal Cato, the poor kid had next to no essence to shield himself from that impact.


    I looked at the toppled tree that Cato had hit while he was sent flying. It was completely uprooted, a feat only achievable with an enormous force.


    ¡®What did he had to go through to not even shout in pain from such an impact?¡¯

 Chapter 14 - Departure

    ¡®Heck, these guys are no joke. Even after catching them off guard we could barely damage them.¡¯


    I plopped myself down after my reserves became exhausted. The ground beneath me began to stir,


    ¡°No, no, that¡¯s enough. I¡¯ve got nothing else up my sleeve, promise!¡±


    I assured Marden while shaking both of my hands. The moment the magician¡¯s shoulders drooped I whipped out my last dagger from my sleeve and threw it at him.


    ¡°Why you-¡±


    Marden growled as he caught it mid air and launched it back at me, slightly grazing my cheek. Well, can¡¯t say I didn¡¯t deserve it. I turned to see how Cato¡¯s fight is going,


    ¡®Hey, not ba-¡¯


    ¡®Oh¡¯


    ¡®Ouch''


    Within moments Cato placed Barth in a lock that should spell victory for him, only to be launched across the clearing. Straight into a tree.


    ¡®Poor tree, I mean- Cato¡¯.


    ¡°Hey Marden, what do you think?¡±


    The knight called out with a smug smile to Marden,


    ¡°I told you it was a good idea to take them in.¡±


    Marden replied while healing Cato¡¯s injuries.


    ¡°What do you think about them getting a job and paying for the repairs?¡±


    ¡®Oh no, no no no. This better not be going where I think it is.¡¯


    ¡°Have them leave us alone? Why not, not to mention our duty shall be finished.¡±


    ¡°Just what is your duty?¡± I asked the two.


    ¡°Each of us have to take in at least one apprentice and train them until they match or surpass us in strength¡± Came Marden¡¯s reply.


    ¡°And who is this for?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°The same place you¡¯ll be given tasks, the guild.¡±


    Barth spoke up. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.


    ¡°Hey, are you feeling alright? There¡¯s no need to be shakin in fear, the place isn¡¯t that bad.¡±


    Marden tried to calm me down. But it wasn¡¯t fear.


    ¡®Cato and I are going to become actual, motherfucking ADVENTURERS!¡¯


    ¡®My god, life just can¡¯t get any better!¡¯


    I started trudging towards Cato who had recovered enough to sit up. He caught a glimpse of my approaching figure and frowned.


    I ignored the scowl,


    ¡°Guess what, we¡¯re going to join an adventurer''s guild and start doing jobs for them. Explore the world beyond and fight magical monsters!¡± I exclaimed.


    ¡°No.¡± Came the reply. He was stare was boring into me.


    ¡°What do you mean, ¡®no¡¯?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°Eagle, did you forget? I don¡¯t care what this guild is and unless you can explain to me how it will help us find Asher or our way back, then there is no reason for us to join.¡±


    ¡®The stubborn fool, he doesn¡¯t see the glory of exploring!¡¯


    I placed my hand on my forehead and broke it down,


    ¡°Right now we are lacking strength and knowledge. The former is acquired through experience and the latter through communication, research and exploration. Now tell me, how can we do both at the same time?¡±


    I looked at Cato who remained silent.


    ¡°The guild will give us missions, often times to eliminate threats, guard caravans and other miscellaneous tasks. Not only will we be gaining money, but also experience. As we travel to our destinations we will learn more of this world, slowly figure out where we are and how to get back. It¡¯s exactly what we need right now!¡±


    I exclaimed to drive the point home.


    ¡°...Fine, but as soon as we understand what¡¯s what, we¡¯re leaving.¡±


    Cato stressed the last words as he started into my eyes.


    ¡°Great, I¡¯ll let the other two know that we can leave right away.¡±


    I turned around and pretended to not see the look of surprise on Cato¡¯s face,


    ¡°So when are we leaving? Cato and I can grab some stuff from the cottage and be on our way.¡±


    I shouted to the pair who were discussing something amongst themselves.


    ¡°Just go get your stuff and come here, we¡¯ll be leaving shortly. The journey should take several days.¡±


    Marden sent me off and started discussing some things with Barth. I was excited to the point of skipping the entire way back to the cottage.


    ¡®Too bad the explosion ruined most of our stuff.¡¯


    However, Cato had a feeling that my latest experiment could backfire and decided to store the weaponry and electrical components in a chest across the hall. And that¡¯s where I¡¯m headed.


    Without slowing down I bounded down the hall, pocketed a pair of P226¡¯s, some spare clips, my laptop and two ear comms. With that my satchel was filled, this left Cato to hold some canteens, rations, and other miscellaneous items to help with camping.


    Once I returned Cato was on his two feet and having a laid-back spar with Barth. Another marvelous idea came to me.


    ¡°Think fast!¡±


    I shouted and lobbed Cato¡¯s satch at him. He widened his eyes and just managed to grab it as it sailed over his head. A brief flare of anger flashed across his eyes.


    ¡®No wonder we became friends, being on the edge is something he does daily. I just happen to give him a reason not to stop.¡¯


    ¡°You might not want to drop that, we¡¯ll need it for our trip.¡±


    I called out to Cato. He took a peek inside and placed the strap over his shoulder. Barth eyed us over and let out a single grunt, signalling for our group of four to head towards the lands beyond. Not even an hour of silent walking later Marden gave in to his curiosity and started asking me countless questions.


    How did you do this, how did you do that? What made you decide to go against my advice? A stream of countless questions poured out of the old guy. No matter what I told him, nothing made him more shocked than my initial discovery, brought on by Cato.


    When he found out that I didn''t isolate my fire but fuelled it with surrounding air, well, flabbergasted would be the best description. He even asked me several follow up questions just to make sure. Turns out that the sole reason for creating spells inside the box was to prevent outside interference. Essentially, unless a perfect vacuum was created, most were unable to understand what they were working with.


    This also explained why I failed to create anything at first without isolation. I also had to demonstrate my flame, which was a perfect ghastly blue that burned an incredible amount of essence to sustain, compared to a yellow one. With it, I gave a half-assed explanation of fusing the fire with an amount of air that felt right. Marden just shook his head and started to work on his own flame.


    The rest of the day was spent traversing across a single road, to each side of which were abundant trees. I could only imagine nature activists on Earth losing their minds over such a place.


    We took a few breaks and as the last rays of light disappeared, we made camp five minutes from the road. Barth and Marden offered to take the two night shifts, leaving the next ones for us.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ********


    [Cato¡¯s Perspective]


    I cracked open my eyelids and gritted my teeth while raising myself up. A distant bird¡¯s song livened my morning routine as I performed a few stretches and lightly kicked Eagle awake. Seeing as how he was oblivious to his surroundings, the night was dull and little happened.


    It took ten minutes for everyone to have their gear packed up and we resumed our journey through the endless forest. During this time I continued to practise imbuing my body parts that I knew best with essence; for now it was the chest and muscle area. There were vague recollections of their names, pectoralis major, deltoids, brachialis but mainly I remembered the various diagrams presented on Eagle¡¯s laptop.


    A slight rustle to my left caught my attention, and another one to make me signal for everyone to stop. Not a moment too late as a husking body of a wolf leapt onto the middle of the road and stared straight at us. A feeling of unease settled into me but for the most part I ignored and took out my knife. Despite all the training, I still feel most comfortable with shorter weapons.


    To my surprise the horned wolf turned around and bounded across to the other side of the forest. I relaxed and looked over at Eagle who was visibly shaken.


    ¡°Wh...what was that?¡± He uttered.


    ¡°What? It was just a wolf.¡±


    ¡°No, that feeling of dread that came from it ¨C that¡¯s not natural.¡±


    As I sheathed my dagger I rememberd the slight sense of unease,


    ¡°Not sure what you¡¯re talking about ¨C just ask Marden.¡±


    I suggested and continued walking. Eagle began to talk with the other two while I zoned them out, their language remained gibberish to me. A short while later Eagle caught up with me and started on another lecture,


    ¡°Hey, remember that strange feeling coming from the wolf before?¡±


    ¡°Yea, what about it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°In a way, it is referred to as killing intent or savagery. The basic principle is drawing up your desire for bloodshed, cruelty or personal experience with death and imbuing it with essence to project it around you or a specific area.¡±


    Eagle piqued my interest. ¡®Killing intent? Sounds familiar¡­¡¯


    ¡°So why would someone waste their essence on that, it seemed pretty useless.¡±


    I shot down Eagle¡¯s excitement to have him demonstrate the utility of such an action.


    ¡°The reason it was ineffective is because we have either killed far more than the alpha wolf or our mentality is tougher than what it could throw at us. To prove it¡­¡±


    Eagle abruptly stopped and snapped his finger. A ten ton weight crashed down on me without warning. My legs began wobbling, struggling to keep myself standing all while immense fear seeped into my very being.


    Around the edges of my vision things began to grow dark, see-through figures raised themselves from the ground and began to approach. I started cycling my own essence in response, to strengthen my body. The weight lightened significantly and I could raise myself somewhat.


    I turned in the direction where the feeling was coming from and stared Barth straight in the eyes.


    ¡®Trick me once, shame on you, trick me twice, shame on me.¡¯


    I paused, thinking back to the pressure he must have exerted in the clearing.


    ¡®Killing intent huh? Well I could probably count the number of people I have killed directly in the thousands on my fingers, but if one was to include explosions, grenades, gas attacks, well, I¡¯d need a couple more hands¡­¡¯.


    An odd sensation enveloped me and I could feel a wicked grin forming. I embraced it, recalled the most brutal missions carried out by me and imagined projecting it onto Barth. No longer restricted by fear it was my turn to take revenge on the fool.


    I took a single step and shock was all over his face. Another step and shock was replaced by worry, followed by fear.


    ¡®I guess that¡¯s enoug-¡¯


    I stopped my onslaught to be met by a wide-eyed Eagle.


    ¡°What the Fuck was that?¡±


    Eagle shouted out.


    ¡°What do you mean? You wanted to show me the power of killing intent, well you definitely did!¡±


    I chuckled a bit and patted him on the shoulder.


    ¡°God damn, I swear I saw the incarnation of the damn reaper himself inside you. If you fucker do that again I will personally hand over your soul to him.¡±


    Eagle joked but I could tell that he was shaken up.


    ¡°Was it that bad?¡±


    I asked and took a look over my shoulder at the other duo.


    ¡°When you gave off that...aura, Ignatius¡¯ bark would seem like a whimper in comparison.¡±


    Wheew


    I let out a low whistle when Eagle told me that.


    ¡°Eagle, emoc here.¡±


    Marden called out, I got the general jist as it was only simple words. At once they entered into a complicated discussion that I zoned out on, instead turning my attention inwards and continued practising infusing various organs with essence.


    I lost track of time as we walked before Eagle caught up with me once more.


    ¡°So I talked with the others,¡±


    Eagle started only to be interrupted,


    ¡°Yeah I could tell.¡±


    ¡°And saying that they were shocked would be an understatement, they went on a barrage of questions about our past. I did my best to stick to the agreed upon story, but it was clear they didn¡¯t buy it.¡±


    Eagle wasn¡¯t hampered by the interjection in the least. I narrowed my eyes upon hearing the last part,


    ¡°What did they say?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, they just accepted my explanation and warned you to never do that again until you learn to control it.¡±


    Eagle finished and placed his hand on my shoulder,


    ¡°And I agree with them, that shit was seriously messed up.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, no more killing intent for a while.¡±


    [Heelp¡­..theem.]


    A frail and feeble female voice rang through my head. I spun around in search for it,


    ¡°Did you hear that?¡±


    I asked Eagle but he returned a blank stare,


    ¡°No, nothing, ar-¡±


    I raised my hand and stopped him,


    [Please¡­.save¡­.them.]


    I was sure now, and felt the direction the plead came from.


    ¡°Eagle, give me a comm and take one for yourself. Warn those two that should they follow us, any trust between us will be ruined, if that doesn¡¯t work think of something else.¡±


    Eagle tossed me an ear-comm from his satchel,


    ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t know, someone or something asked for help in my mind, I just have a general feeling of where it came from.¡±


    I responded and took off in the direction that felt right. Several shouts came from Barth but were soon cut short.


    [¡°Stay hidden unless I give the signal.¡±]


    I spoke into the ear comm. As I raced through the forest, I enhanced my entire body to avoid the incoming branches and tree trunks. I knew my speed approached a horse¡¯s gallop and consumed essence at a rapid pace but I didn¡¯t care. A sense of foreign urgency overwhelmed me.


    After a minute I could hear various growls and yelps of pain. Following the noise I came across a pack of wolves led by an alpha from the side. The group was surrounding something backed against a tree. I turned towards Eagle and motioned for him to wait. Not wasting a single moment I grabbed my dagger and dashed forward with as much power as I could muster.


    [Save¡­.them.]


    I caught one of the wolves by surprise and slit its throat without stopping. I managed to take out another one just a bit ahead in the same manner before the pack noticed me. The group of ten or so wolves broke into two and began to encircle me as well.


    I still couldn¡¯t tell who called out to me telepathically and fighting while surrounded was rather disadvantageous. I tried to make a breakthrough but the wolves would jump at me all at once, forcing me to back off or be completely shredded.


    I evaded countless lunges while slashing any that overextended.


    ¡®Dammit, I don¡¯t have time for this!¡¯


    [Please¡­.hurry.]


    The voice rang across my head, this time barely audible. I thought back to my fight with Barth and remembered the feeling kicking off of pure air.


    ¡®Hell, why not?¡¯


    I embued my calves, quadriceps and hamstrings with an enormous amount of essence to crouch down until my hands touched the ground and kicked off in a single spontaneous motion.


    The wolves couldn¡¯t even react as I shot upwards. At around the three meter mark I leaned toward the source of the voice and prayed to the gods for this to work.


    I brought my knees in and imagined the surface tension of the air increasing hundred fold before kicking off of it. Caught off guard, I shot forward like an arrow over the wolves and had to complete another somersault to land perpendicular to a tree. I fell onto the ground with a thud and looked around.


    The wolves all stared at me in shock, hesitant to approach. I took the opportunity to glance behind me and saw the most stunning creature in my life. Its figure reminded me of a tiger with heavy muscle in the upper chest, neck and paw area.


    What seemed like the collapsed parent was being protected by two cubs, all of them were bleeding profusely and barely able to stand. Rage swelled inside me.


    ¡°You fuckers just try to get past me.¡±


    I spoke with a deep, threatening tone at the wolves and they fell into a defensive stance. My interference was met with a resounding growl from the alpha.


    ¡°Now!¡±


    I shouted for Eagle to help me out and all at once the wolves dashed forward.


    I didn¡¯t wait for them to start, instead tossed my knife upwards and pulled out a throwing knife in each hand. Coating them with essence, I whipped them at the two closest wolves who dropped dead in an instant. Their skulls pierced between the eyes.


    I grabbed my air-borne knife, coated it and with a swift lunge pierced another wolf¡¯s throat. The fourth one bit down hard on my left hand. Pain flared through my body, I turned on my left foot as a pivot and punted the overgrown dog with my right. It let go of my arm with a yelp as it was catapulted into a tree.


    As I was recovering my stance from the movement, another two jumped at me but were filled with holes as soon they got within a meter. Saved by Eagle¡¯s icicles I gave him a mental thanks.


    My arm became coated with blood as it flowed through the fang wounds. But I knew I came out as the victor. Within several seconds, we took out more than half of their pack. Hesitation formed within the survivors. The alpha wolf came forward and they all parted, making way for him.


    We didn¡¯t need to exchange words to understand what the other was thinking; our actions more than self-explanatory. He leapt a bit to my side with speed beyond what I expected-


    ¡®Shit, is he going to avoid me?¡¯


    I hastily turned to intercept him but he turned as soon as his front paws touched the ground and dashed straight at me, fangs bared. Unprepared, I could only sacrifice my left arm once more to stop the attack, hoping to finish with a knife to the jugular.


    Eagle shot forth several more icicles but they bounced off his coat harmlessly.


    As the alpha bit down, it brought its hind paws in and kicked me in the stomach. My knife was about to pierce his neck but the impact sent me flying a few meters. I skidded to a halt and gasped as another wave of pain rolled over my body from the long gashes in my arm. I dashed forward, but I was too late. An opening was created and the alpha took it.


    One of the cubs tried to jump at its neck but was batted away without effort. The second one¡¯s front paw gave out and it collapsed. Before the little one could be devoured the parent¡¯s magnificent tail whipped out, taking the cub¡¯s place and was gnawed on instead. The striped tail was coated with a sliver of essence, but not enough. Blood filled the wolf¡¯s mouth and flowed down its chin.


    I threw my dagger straight at its head. The wolf let go and twisted its neck to avoid the knife. However I had one last throwing dagger that I pulled out. The alpha seemed intelligent enough to try and avoid my charge with a metal weapon.


    I smiled to myself as I realized its build didn¡¯t allow it to jump backwards fast enough while its sides were blocked by the parent and dead bodies. In a last ditch resort the alpha leapt upwards but I saw that coming and followed with ease. From below I had the advantage and finished the job as I originally planned.


    I yanked the knife out and blood spurted out from the jugular. The few remaining wolves ran off with their tails between their legs at the sight of their leader¡¯s body collapsing.


    [Thank¡­.you.]


    I turned to the parent, its eyes closed and the body no longer moving.

 Chapter 15 - A Memory

    ¡°Wow Asher, the way you showed the thief who¡¯s boss was amazing! You even made that punch look like it was going to hurt but didn¡¯t! Instead it stopped and your other hand hit him really hard!¡±


    I exclaimed to my best friend. A short chuckle came from him,


    ¡°Did you like that Cato? It¡¯s something called a feint, when you trick the bad guy to stop your attack, but then you surprise them with a different one. Anyway, look at this haul!¡±


    Asher emptied his pocket to reveal a fat wallet with a bunch of money in it. With this we could go for a couple of days without going hungry!


    ¡°Not only that, look what else I got from him.¡±


    Asher took out a shiny knife that looked very intimidating.


    ¡°With this it will be much easier for us to get money for everyone!¡±


    Asher exclaimed and we headed back home in high spirits. We avoided most people and stuck to the darker paths, Asher says it¡¯s safer that way ¨C and he was never wrong. On our way we stopped by a small grocery store and bought some bread, ham, cheese and a couple of fruits. We walked for a long time and our home came into sight just as my feet began to hurt. An uncomfortable feeling appeared in my stomach.


    ¡°Will Mr. Walker yell at us again?¡±


    I asked my friend.


    ¡°As long as we don¡¯t let him know about the knife then probably not, we brought a lot of food for everyone, so he should be ok with it.¡±


    Asher told me with a smile on his face. When he smiled I knew everything will be alright so I smiled in response and walked inside. The old door made a loud creaking noise as it opened,


    ¡®Uh oh¡¯.


    Heavy footsteps came down the hall and I knew Mr. Walker was coming.


    ¡°Asher, do you have any idea of the time?¡±


    ¡°Yes old man, doing it at any other time would either risk us getting hurt or revealed.¡±


    Asher made a wide grin on his face,


    ¡°Besides, look at the stuff we have for everyone!¡±


    I knew that was the signal and I pulled out the bags from behind my back at the same time as Asher. Mr. Walker¡¯s frown disappeared when he saw all of the food and just shook his head.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll let the others come for dinner.¡±


    As soon as he said that all of the kids came running down the stairs and yelled in joy.


    ¡°Food, food, food!¡±


    Came their chants and I felt really good inside, for helping bringing more food and helping Asher. Everyone got a slice of bread or cheese and ate with care, taking the time to taste the ham or cheese. We talked, played and before long everyone went to bed. I was going to as well but Mr. Walker told Asher to stay back. I wanted to know what was going on so I hid behind the wall and listened.


    ¡°Asher, we¡¯re all thankful for the work you do but this can¡¯t go on. Sooner or later you will get caught and then drag Cato down with it. I know it¡¯s hard to get a job but at least try. Cato . . . his respect for you is unmatched - just take care of him.¡±


    Asher started lectured again. ¡®Why is that only he gets in trouble and I never do?¡¯


    I heard a faint whistling coming from outside before a loud noise shook the building. Several more whistles came after, followed by even stronger explosions, there was dust coming from the ceiling. Another whistle sounded but this time it seemed to be getting closer¡­


    ¡°Asher, get down!¡±


    Mr. Walker shouted and fell to the floor. I didn¡¯t know what was going on but since Mr. Walker said so, I had to follow. A violent noise rang through my ears and I shouted out in pain. My head felt light and something hit me in the back.


    ¡®What¡¯s going on? I need to find Asher; he would know what to do.¡¯


    My whole body burned as I tried to get up, but compared to when Asher and I tried to bully a bad guy that called out his friends and hurt us, it was nothing. There was a lot of smoke and breathing was really hard. I coughed several times before someone called my name,


    ¡°Cato! You¡¯re alright thank god.¡±


    My ears were still ringing so I couldn¡¯t tell who it was.


    ¡°It¡¯s me Asher, you remember me right?¡±


    ¡°Of course, how could I forget my best friend!¡±


    I replied and felt him pull my arm.


    ¡°Follow me, we need to hide-¡°


    ¡°Spread out and search, you know who our target is, if you find the kids double check their names.¡±


    Asher was interrupted by someone shouting. I had no idea what was going on,


    ¡°Asher, wha-¡°


    I was cut off as Asher placed a finger on my mouth. I followed him behind a section of the collapsed wall. Both of us stood in silence.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, everything will be alright - I promise.¡±Asher whispered to me while smiling.


    Asher whispered to me while smiling.


    ¡°You check the west rooms I¡¯ll take the north.¡±


    A stranger¡¯s voice echoed across the ruins. Footsteps grew louder, it sounded like the man was wearing heavy boots.


    ¡°Is- is he coming to save us?¡±


    I asked Asher with a trembling voice.


    ¡°Cato listen, you¡¯re a brave boy and that is a very, very bad person. I need you to cry right in front of this leaning piece of wall. Just draw his attention and don¡¯t do anything other than a fake cry until I tell you to, okay?¡±


    Asher faced me, holding both of my shoulders while making me do something strange.


    ¡°O-ok, I¡¯ll do it. But after we leave okay?¡±


    I didn¡¯t like this place anymore and wanted to leave.


    ¡°Sure thing, now go ahead and distract him.¡±


    Asher flashed me a reassuring smile and nudged me to go. There was so much smoke in the area that it teared up my eyes a bit, which was good. It helped me pretend cry so much better. I crouched in front of the tilted wall that reminded of a triangle, Asher was hiding inside of it.


    Waaaaaaaaaah


    I started crying as loud as a could, an occasional sob to make it sounded more ¡®realistic¡¯ as Asher told me once.


    ¡°Cato is that you?¡±


    I heard Mr. Walker called out to me but I ignored him, my promise to Asher was more important.


    ¡°freeze!¡±


    The sudden shout scared me for real and I cried even more. There were further footsteps but I ignored them. Someone stopped right in front of me.


    ¡°Leave the child alone, you came for me, correct?¡±


    Mr. Walker spoke up.


    ¡°Who- well, if it isn¡¯t Mark. The organisation has spent quite the while looking for you. Now why don¡¯t you turn around, let me tie you up and tell the brat to shut up?¡±


    The bad person¡¯s voice rang through ruins. I was really scared,


    ¡®Just what is going on? I don¡¯t understand any of this!¡¯


    A gentle bird call came,


    ¡®It¡¯s Asher!¡¯


    It was the signal for me to stop crying.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do as you say, just leave the kids out of this.¡±


    Mr. Walker tried to act tough but even I could hear his voice shaking. I raised my head and saw him standing right in front of me, the figure approached us carefully. A crackling noise came from elsewhere


    ¡°Hey John, come to the west hall - I¡¯ve found our target.¡±


    crackle


    ¡°Roger that.¡±


    A very raspy and robotic voice replied,


    ¡®Did they bring droids with them?¡¯


    The bad person stopped a meter in front of Mr. Walker.


    ¡°Now turn around.¡±


    The dust hasn¡¯t fully settled yet and I could only make out his outline. As soon as Mr. Walker finished turning around with his hands on his head the other man lifted his arm and wanted to hit him!


    ¡°Mr. Walker turn ar-!¡±


    I shouted to help him but something fell on top of the mean guy and he fell down. The dust cleared enough and I strained my eyes to see what happened,


    ¡®Asher?!¡¯


    ¡°Asher, what did you do?¡±


    Mr. Walker turned around, grabbed both of Asher¡¯s arms and looked at the person on the ground.


    ¡°I saved you old man, that¡¯s what!¡±


    Eagle twisted out of the man¡¯s grip and looked around. Mr. Walker bent down and started looking for something on the other person¡¯s body. I had no idea what was going on and just stood there confused.


    ¡°Tristan? Tristan wher-¡±


    A new voice came from the corridor.


    ¡°Why you!¡±


    Immediately two loud bangs rang across the room and hurt my ears. I heard a loud thud as something fell to the ground. The new guy was on the ground, he seemed to faint,


    ¡®that¡¯s good!¡¯


    ¡®I think¡¯


    ¡°Mr. Walker!¡±


    Asher screamed,


    *cough, splash*


    ¡°A-Asher¡±


    Mr. Walker sounded extremely weak but I couldn¡¯t move, my body frozen and unresponsive,


    ¡°Take the radio and run with Cato,¡±


    *cough*


    ¡°and my real name is-¡±


    ¡®Mr. Walker¡¯s true name? Why would he have a different one?¡¯ Why did he whisper it to Asher and not loud enough for me to hear?¡¯


    There were countless thoughts running through my head but I just stood there, rooted in one spot.


    ¡°Mr. Walker¡­?¡±


    Tears began to well up and soon enough I cried for real, bawling my eyes out. Between my gasps I saw Asher wiped his face and got up. He ran towards me,


    ¡°We have to get out of here, more bad guys will be here soon.¡±


    ¡°He- he, Mr. Walker is dead, isn¡¯t he? He won¡¯t be coming baaaaaaaack!¡±


    I wailed out loud and wept even harder. Something hit me across the cheek and made it sting.


    ¡°Cato you have to focus and listen to me! Mr. Walker did his best for us to get away, so let¡¯s do as he wanted okay?¡±


    Asher asked while warmly looking at me. I sobbed several more times,


    ¡°Mhm¡±


    ********


    ¡®...Dammit, why did I remember that now of all times?!¡¯


    I forced the swelling tide of emotions away and looked down. A beautiful beast laid before me, covered in countless scratches and bite wounds. Its chest, neck and front paw areas were bulging with muscle while the fur pattern was the most mesmerizing of all.


    A rich and dark green ran across the top of its body and along the tail, while its underside was covered in snow-white fur. The same white also ran across the backside of its paws leaving the front for the green.


    Its tail made up of the same black and green stripes running along until the very tip flared out with black fur, like a spearhead. Altogether it was nearly three meters long with the tail making up half of that length.


    A short mane ran from halfway down the back to the top of the head. Two canines slightly sticking out.


    ¡®Fuck! Even now I am powerless to save everyone! First I lost you, now I lost someone pleading for help!¡¯


    I punched a nearby tree to vent some of my frustration at my uselessness. Soft purring noises came from the cubs and I turned my attention to them.


    They had the same pattern and build as their mother, only one of them had a blue one and they were both about ninety centimetres long and sixty centimetres high. I pulled two food rations out of my satchel and broke the seal.


    Within minutes the food heated up and I placed it in front of the little ones. Both of them were wary about leaving the parent and taking the food but they eventually gave in. As they ate I sat down cross legged and focused my essence to stem the blood flow from my wounds. It¡¯s the best I could manage given most of my time was spent empowering myself with essence.


    Eagle came out of hiding and approached me.


    ¡°Here, let me try.¡±


    He put his hand to my wound and a green essence started to seep out of him. I felt my wound close and the pain almost gone.


    ¡°Well, that went better than expected. Granted I couldn¡¯t finish healing you as my essence ran out.¡±


    I waved him off,


    ¡°It¡¯s enough. Thank you.¡±


    As I went around retrieving my throwing knives and dagger I noticed that the cub that used to limp started to walk fine and their wounds slowly healed.


    ¡®That¡¯s some extraordinary healing they have.¡¯


    I chuckled to myself and started to leave the grieving children behind. With their size they should be able to hunt just fine and with most of the wolf pack gone, there shouldn¡¯t be any problems.


    ¡°Eagle, I¡¯m heading back now.¡±


    I weakly smiled and headed back. Thankfully I didn¡¯t bother with stealth during my rush and the way back was rather obvious. I kept trudging through the dirt while suppressing the cursed memory. It took far longer to return but wasting essence at this point would be plain stupid, the only way to recover it is through sleep or boring-ass meditation.


    The road came into sight and I stepped out into the open.


    ¡°EaGlE!¡±


    Marden exclaimed once we came out onto the road. Eagle went on and started talking in more gibberish as I stood under the scrutinizing gazes of the other two.


    In the end Eagle summarized our encounter. How I heard a strange voice in my head that drew me into the forest. He told them about the sense of urgency that overwhelmed me and me rushing head first into an ambush set up by the wolves. As well as us taking out half of their pack before the alpha challenged me.


    In the end they were only somewhat satisfied with our story but let it slide. No more questions were asked as we traveled for a day and a half before arriving at the city of Iyamore.

 Chapter 16 - Iyamore

    Our group stood at the apex of a hill having finished another one of the countless hikes up the steep road. From our vantage point we had a perfect overview of the city and its borders.


    ¡®Holy¡­¡¯


    The size was staggering to say the least. Even from up here it was difficult to approximate,


    ¡®Ten... twenty... no, twenty-five kilometers diameter?!¡¯


    ¡®How do they even travel around the place?¡¯


    ¡°Now that, is a fantasy city! I mean just look at the sheer size and the stone walls surrounding it!¡±


    Eagle regained his initial vigor and stood brimming with life once more. Only moments ago he was trudging upwards. I ignored him and surveyed the city which was surrounded by three layers of walls that broke into three sections.


    It was hard to tell from the distance but if common sense meant anything then the outer section was the slums and those scraping to get by. The inner was for the wealthier, merchants and the like. And the center, based on the monstrous castle, must be the government''s residing place. A quick look down the hill showed Eagle managing to skip his way downwards.


    ¡°s¡¯tahW Eagle do-gni?¡±


    Barth asked me from behind, both he and Marden wore grimaces and looks of confusion. I shrugged and started descending towards the city. While Eagle might seem carefree to the others, his speed was perfectly maintained.


    Each time he landed all of his momentum was broken and recreated, all while swinging his arms like a true kid. Yet I spotted him using some of the more advanced techniques taught to the recon teams to descend through rough or unstable terrain at optimum efficiency.


    ¡®Humph, show off¡¯.


    I increased my pace a bit and we arrived at one of the gates within two hours. By the time we arrived I was breathing heavily, having utilised as little essence as possible my body received a greater workout. From what Eagle understood during one of our group training,


    ¡®More like torture sessions¡¯,


    essence increases the strength of a muscle exponentially.


    Meaning that should a normal child and an adult receive the same infusion, the adult¡¯s gain would be significantly greater. Thus, body training remained just as, if not more, important than increasing capacity and control over my essence.


    There were several caravans in front of us that formed a line leaving us with little to do but stand around. I eyed the security around the perimeter which was decent enough. Several guards sanctioned by the gate and one standing outside directing people through one at a time. Two twin towers stood on either side with the occasional sentry walking between them.


    ¡®The intervals are short enough to spot major movement but a group of six or so could easily sneak in.¡¯


    The up and down square pattern while provided great cover, also eased a potential raid¡¯s team infiltration. All of this would have to be done under the cover of darkness as the area was devoid of any vegetation for nearly half a kilometer.


    Having finished my musings, our group was called forth and we proceeded under the portcullis. Barth and Marden walked forward and started discussing something with another guard clad in a combination of plate, chain and leather armour. A sword hung at his side and a kite shield on his back. All the other guards wore similar attire.


    A slight look of disdain can be seen on one of the guards. After looking at Marden and Barth, he eyed Eagle and me before spitting into the ground.


    He started asking something but was silenced when Barth took off his gauntlets and a light shone. I could tell he used his essence to do something,


    ¡®Wait, didn¡¯t he do something like this back in the village as well?¡¯


    The result was instantaneous, everyone took several steps back and even the trash guard paled a bit.


    We were waved through in a matter of minutes.


    ¡°Hey Eagle, do you know what Barth did? Pretty sure something similar happened in the village.¡±


    I asked while following our guides.


    ¡°Nope, it has something with one¡¯s essence revealing a piece of your identity but how it is done I have no idea.¡±


    Eagle shook his head as he replied. With the stone wall no longer looming over my head I started to look around. My earlier guess stood true with poorly made wooden houses littered about with dirt roads running all between them. No doubt those will turn into mud pools during rainfall.


    There was the occasional inn or two, market stalls but other than that the streets were filled with people going about their business. Despite the apparent lack of entertainment most of them were smiling. Some of them even greeted us with a wave of their hand or a polite nod.


    ¡®Would they act the same if our hoods weren¡¯t lifted? If they saw our ears?¡¯


    ¡°Hey Cato, you smell anything?¡±


    Eagle asked a random question.


    ¡°No I don¡¯t, why are you even asking this now?¡±


    I replied, irritated and confused.


    ¡°Well, there doesn¡¯t seem to be any advancements from their society compared to our own during medieval times. So how come it is so clean? Do they have plumbing? Is it another use of essence or did they develop through alternate ways?¡±


    Eagle started blabbering about more of his questions. The man is never satisfied, no matter how many answers he finds.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you knock and ask to use someone¡¯s washroom? I¡¯m sure that would answer your question.¡±


    ¡°I...uhh...I think I¡¯ll pass.¡±


    A hesitant reply came from Eagle. Despite killing countless number of people he decided to act shy all of sudden,


    ¡®Dude really?¡¯


    I was just plain tired of walking and wanted to sleep on a proper bed without stuff crawling all over me while sleeping.


    I let out a dejected sigh and kept following the two. Having lost interest in my surroundings which resembled the village, I zoned out as we trekked through the dirt. It wasn¡¯t until we came in front of another wall that I snapped back and looked around. Another portcullis hung open and between two twin towers similar to the ones of the outer wall.


    Having left the poor region I was somewhat excited. To see proper living conditions of the higher life. Once Barth showed his arm for identification we were ushered through without any questions and immediately stepped onto the cobble road. The houses were larger, more spaced out and didn¡¯t look rotten.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Everything was tidy and the pristine pathways created a completely different atmosphere. There were signs with words written on them, not just plain images. Fences, shrubs and beautiful vegetation surrounded the houses. People whom I assumed to be servants, with their outfits similar to the messenger in the villager¡¯s lord manor, milled about.


    I started to burn the surroundings into memory in order to memorize the layout. I had a feeling we would spend some time here. I kept it up until we approached the first building made of pure stone. It would pass for a several story house but the most intriguing part were those who came and left all without exception had weapons of some sort be it, swords, bows, hammers, shields, etc.


    ¡°Hey Cato, I think we¡¯re here.¡±


    Eagle jabbed my side to get my attention.


    ¡°Yeah, probably.¡±


    I answered and paid close attention as Barth and Marden turned to face us. They started talking to Eagle. They turned around once they¡¯ve finished and walked inside without us.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we following them?¡±


    I asked Eagle who stood rooted to his spot.


    ¡°No, they told us to wait here for a few minutes and then walk inside. All we have to do is become registered with a lady at the front desk.¡±


    Eagle turned towards me and explained.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Having nothing else to do both of us just stood awkwardly as people went past us with curious gazes.


    ¡°Alright, I think that¡¯s enough. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    I had enough standing around and decided to lead Eagle inside. Talking, jeering and shouting could all be heard from the outside. I pushed the heavy wooden doors and stepped inside. All of the background noise stopped at once as sunlight filled the room.


    ¡®What¡¯s their problem?¡¯


    ¡°.truh teg uoy erofeb tuo teG .sdik rof ecalp on t''nia siht ,won yeH¡±


    A rough looking elf draped in leather armour got up and blocked our way.


    ¡°Hey Eagle, I don¡¯t understand them, so whenever someone speaks just translate for me, ¡®kay?¡±


    I asked Eagle without breaking eye-contact from the cocky bastard in our way.


    ¡°Sure, he said, hey now, this ain¡¯t a place for kids and that we should leave before we get hurt.¡±


    ¡°...I see¡±


    Anyone standing before now cleared the pathway down the middle of the hall and took a seat on either side.


    I extended my right arm in a greeting, hoping that the fool would be daft enough to fall for it. Several snickers and murmurs went around the room before the elf grabbed my hand and started to squeeze on it, from his grimace I could tell he wasn¡¯t holding back.


    Tired of the farce I imbued my arm, core and legs with a burst of essence and pulled the elf closer while bringing my foot next to his. With his balance broken I had no trouble twisting his arm behind his back and had his face wiping the floor.


    The room as a whole gasped as even more murmurs broke among the rank of people seated around the tables and benches.


    ¡°Hey Cato, this guy seemed to be famous for crushing rookies and his rank seemed to be at the upper gold level.¡±


    ¡°What does that even mean? ¡®Upper gold level¡¯?¡±


    Eagle approached me from behind, ¡°Just let him go and let¡¯s get registered.¡±


    I released his arm and gave a kick to his side to make sure he stays down for a little while. As we walked down the clear pathway no one made more noise than a whisper. When we reached the front desk a rough elf towered over us. He eyed us with a scrutinizing gaze. Several scars adorned his face and arms. His entire body was bulging with knots of pure muscle.


    ¡°Welcome, Cato and Eagle, gnitcepxe neeb evah I you.¡±


    I caught an odd word or two but the meaning escaped me. The voice was steady and powerful.


    ¡®Is this the owner?¡¯ The way he carried himself across made it possible.


    ¡°eht ti saW two adventurers dlot taht you tuoba us?¡±


    Eagle started to talk about something. I just pretended to be a part of the conversation.


    ¡°Correct, they said a pair of kids would be interested in joining. But never did I expect them to be serious, hahaha!¡±


    The elf heartily laughed and pulled out two cards. Eagle exchanged a few words and faced me.


    ¡°We have to imbue them with as much essence as possible in one burst. The cards will then display our starting rank and self-destruct.¡±


    I looked at the two blank pieces of parchment.


    ¡®Guess there¡¯s no point in holding back.¡¯


    I focused nearly all my essence into my fist, condensing it as much as possible.


    ¡°?hoH dab toN little one.¡±


    I had no clue what the elf said but his raised eyebrows told me all that I needed. I grasped the parchment and forced the contained essence into it. At once it shone blinding pale blue colour and several characters appeared on it.


    I looked over at the man to see him standing with a slack jaw.


    ¡®Was that a bit too much?¡¯


    I shrugged it off, I was not about to walk around pretending to be some weakling.


    Eagle did the same as me only without touching the paper, but the end result was the same.


    ¡°.pets lanif eht rof worromot yb pots ot eerf leeF .noitartsiger ruoy ezilanif ot yad a ekat lliw-uohs ti ,uoy knaht-ht-hT¡±


    The man was distraught and his stuttering didn¡¯t make it better.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go Cato, it will take a day to finish the registration, we¡¯ll need to come back tomorrow for the final step.¡±


    If before there was an occasional whisper, now the room was devoid of any noise. Everyone¡¯s attention was on us as we walked down the center and exited the building. We waited a few more minutes outside before Marden and Barth walked outside.


    They wore smug grins on their faces and Barth clapped Eagle and me on the back while laughing. It was clear we lived up to their expectation.


    ¡°You boys sure know how to stir up a commotion!¡±


    Barth shouted as we were given a court tour of the city. Eagle translated for me, if he felt it necessary. Our first stop was a bustling market sprawling over a square no shorter than two hundred meters. Or so Eagle told me.


    There were stalls for everything; weapons, clothes, armours, food, household items, jewelry, you name it. Eagle asked where all the metal works were done and after purchasing a few supplies we were led to a different district. There were less people around this area but all without fail were burly, with thick beards.


    The distant sound of metal striking metal told us we entered the blacksmithing area. Eagle had hoped that in the city the techniques and equipment would be more advanced than in the village. But was severely disappointed when anvils, hammers and simple blast furnaces were all that was present.


    With sunset rapidly approaching we left the banging behind and were taken to an inn; Broken Hilt it was called. Simple stone covered the walls and circular tables placed rather close to each other. We ordered something that resembled chicken, or so Eagle assured me. With darkness engulfing the streets, the interior was lit up with candles hanging on the walls and a fireplace off to the side.


    There was a cheery atmosphere as everyone ate their grub and shared stories - all without exception were armed adventurers. Eagle took the proximity of tables to his advantage to listen in on rumours and get a better grasp on the status of the world.


    Nothing overly interesting was mentioned other than that a strange artifact was found on the borders between Lavir and Trill. A small skirmish broke out and Trill¡¯s troops won. The artifact was brought to the royal castle for the court mages to inspect. No other information was known about it, only speculations ran wild.


    ¡°Hey Cato, here is something else, apparently an absurdly rare species, the Ayeries were spotted in the forest not too far from here. Looking something akin to an over-grown wolf with an extremely long tail. But that¡¯s not the point. They say a group of bandits captured two cubs and their mother and made a deal with a merchant to auction them in a few days.¡±


    Eagle started to talk about another rumour that caught his attention. I crushed the metal cup I was holding.


    ¡°It is so big that you need to buy tickets just to enter the room where the bids will be placed!¡±


    ¡®If it was the two I saved¡­¡¯


    ¡°Eagle, I need you to ask whoever said that about the colours or any other information they know about them.¡±


    My anger controlled, but it was just the calm before the storm. I wanted to be sure. I eyed Eagle as he pushed his chair backwards and started asking a group seated just next to us.


    ¡°They weren¡¯t too sure either but they heard some people mentioning white, black fur with a variation of green or blue.¡±


    Once Eagle finished something snapped inside me. Despite being aware of it my judgement became clouded and I could feel myself using essence for something.


    ¡°Wo-woah Cato, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Eagle stammered in surprise.


    ¡°Find out where we can get the tickets, find the merchant and anything related to him. I¡¯m headed to our room. Once you¡¯re done you better come as well.¡±


    I got up and trudged up a flight of stairs to the room we reserved. The door creaked open as I walked in and sat down, trying to get my emotions under control. Several minutes later Eagle came inside,


    ¡°Do you want to explain to me what the fuck that was all about? Releasing your killing intent like that the entire first floor shut up and stared at us!¡±


    Eagle was frustrated, and it was truly my fault but he wasn¡¯t done,


    ¡°You¡¯re damn lucky the other two weren¡¯t around to bash your head in for such a display and instead were asleep in their rooms!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but I just lost myself there...¡±


    Eagle let out a sigh at my poor excuse of an apology.


    ¡°Now what about the Ayries that got you so worked up?¡±


    Eagle asked and I filled in the holes from my previous explanation of the wolves, giving him the complete story.


    ¡°I see, but that still doesn¡¯t explain such a reaction. There is only one thing, one person that could possibly do that.¡±


    Eagle pushed for further answers but I wasn¡¯t about to lay my life story for him this moment.


    ¡°That¡¯s going too far, in time I may tell you but for now, help me figure out a way to find those cubs and save them.¡±

 Chapter 17 - Operation Ayries

    ¡®Just why the fuck does Cato care about the oversized dogs so much? Sure he saved them but that didn¡¯t justify such a reaction.¡¯


    I scratched the back of my head trying to figure out a plan.


    ¡°We have to act within the next two days, the difficulty will depend where they are currently located. Outside the city in the bandit¡¯s camp anything goes but inside the city¡­ well I¡¯m not sure how far we can bend the rules before even those two can¡¯t help us.¡±


    Starting to think out loud, I hoped that Cato would pitch in.


    ¡°Our first step would be to find the merchant who has set up a deal with the bandits. Find him, find the bandits, save the cubs.¡±


    ¡°Thanks captain obvious, now take a look at the map and the points I labeled.¡±


    I unrolled the parchment I bought from the owner after Cato made his exit.


    ¡°When did you get the chance to buy that?¡± Cato asked as he was examining the map.


    ¡°Knowing you and your reaction I had a feeling we might need to know the city better. Any more questions?¡±


    I asked while getting up and collecting our gear.


    ¡°There are a lot of markers originating from the marketplace, I suppose we¡¯ll be spending some time there?¡±


    Cato inquired and tossed the rolled up map back to me.


    ¡°We¡¯re looking for anyone connected to the underground, if anyone got intel then it will be them. No point in going around asking people - rumours of kids snooping around will spread too fast.¡±


    ¡°Comms to contact each other?¡± Cato asked.


    ¡°No choice, it¡¯s the quickest and quietest method of communicating.¡±


    I placed one of our ration cans onto the handle of the door, should someone nudge it even slightly then the noise will alert us; the window sealed shut and nothing short of shattering it will allow anyone to get in.


    With simplistic measures in place, Cato and I got some sleep. Naturally rising at the crack of dawn.


    It took us a minute to grab our things and exit the empty building. most of the occupants still asleep. We took a right turn and headed for the marketplace.


    ¡®One dark alleyway passed, two dark alleyways passed, three dark alley-¡¯.


    I looked around but Cato had left me for his initial pass around the area.


    ¡®What kind of friend leaves a friend alone?¡¯ I searched for an out-of-sight alley into which I can step in and disappear.


    Passing a couple more and found one hidden by large boxes and several barrels, a nauseating smell came from within.


    ¡®As good a place as any.¡¯


    Looking both ways, I caught a moment where the crowd thinned and hopped over the makeshift barricade. There were several window sills and clothes lines offering great holds to scale the buildings.


    ¡®I¡¯m seriously gonna need a bath after this¡­¡¯


    I had no trouble reaching the second floor by running up the wall. I grabbed a window sill, hoisted myself up and kicked off with enough force to reach a clothes line. It shook slightly but held. Pulling myself onto it got me just under forty centimeters from the roof. I walked on top of the line to where it was held by a strange latch the size of my fist.


    Just as I was about to jump upwards, a muffled sound came from the opposite side of the alley. Several men came inside, all carrying a knife or weapon of sort, all dressed in rags.


    ¡®Huh, didn¡¯t think I was this popular. Let¡¯s see¡­¡¯


    With a light hop I climbed onto the roof and surveyed the surroundings.


    ¡°Cato, I found our first group south-west of Bravo. Scan the surroundings on your way here - three ragtags.¡±


    I notified Cato over the comms and kept an eye on the thugs.


    ¡°Got it, I¡¯ll look around before heading towards you from Delta.¡±


    A brief confirmation came through the earpiece. The three elves went deeper into the alley and stood close to the walls, making them almost impossible to be spotted by any passerby from the street.


    Thankfully the architecture in this city was rather simple with the roofs in uniform, shallow slopes, giving clear line of sight in any direction while providing decent cover from the ground. Nothing entertaining happened. The group just remained still the entire time, so I occupied myself by lying down and pulling up my sleeves and pant legs. The sun here didn¡¯t feel as powerful as the one back on Earth but still felt better than nothing.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    ¡®A light tan never hurt anyone¡¯.


    I knew that any commotion would be easily heard from up here and until they found whoever they were looking for, nothing would happen. And so I bathed under the gentle sunlight, listening to the occasional remark, insult or comment from below.


    ¡°Get off your lazy ass and pay attention. There¡¯s someone being tailed towards your location.¡±


    Cato interrupted my rest after only a few minutes. I shifted closer to the edge of the roof and looked below. Nothing. The guys haven¡¯t budged. Taking a quick look around after fixing my clothes I spotted Cato walking along a roof several buildings from me.


    I silently hopped off, cushioning and trapping the sound of my landing by messing with the air around me using essence. The three thugs didn¡¯t turn around,


    ¡®Touch down! Six points in my favour, none in Cato¡¯s!¡¯.


    ¡°Why - you, let go!¡±


    Some kid was thrown into the alley by a fourth thug.


    ¡°I gave you everything you wanted, let me go!¡±


    The kid shouted once more.


    ¡°Why, I don¡¯t think you have. We saw you sneaking around the merchant everyone¡¯s been talking about.¡±


    Seeing a potential informant I readied two icicles and whispered through the comms,


    ¡°Now!¡±


    Immediately the two thugs closest to me turned around but were put down as each had an elbow and knee cap pierced by the frozen projectiles. The fourth elf gave a stifled grunt as Cato appeared from the other side of the alley and flattened his face with a right hook, sending the guy spiraling to the ground.


    There was only a single thug and kid left in the middle of the alley. Cato and I blocked off either options of escape.


    ¡°Eagle, who had the intel?¡±


    ¡°The kid, the others were just about to question him about it.¡±


    ¡°Either tell or make the other guy shut up, have the kid start talking.¡±


    I walked closer to the man who was frantically turning his head back and forth from Cato to me, a single dagger in his hand.


    ¡°Now are you going to sit quietly or cry painfully, which one do you choose?¡±


    The man roared out and charged at me. A quick sidestep followed by a pierced elbow, frozen mouth and a dropped dagger left the elf writhing on the ground in pain.


    ¡°Wh-who are you?¡±


    The kid stammered out. His hands were brought close to his chest and his entire body shaking.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t do anything as long as you answer our questions. Sounds good?¡±


    The kid nodded hesitantly and looked behind himself at Cato. The body of the guy stalking him flew several meters before rolling to a stop just before his feet. The sight of a grown man being sent flying by just a kick eliminated all thoughts of escape from the brat.


    ¡°Now why don¡¯t you start with the merchant you mentioned earlier?¡±


    I held up a hand to indicate for Cato to chill; no need to terrorize a compliant little helper.


    ¡°Ri-right, he was walking around the market with several armed people, buying anything he set his sights on. Seeing him as a walking coin purse I followed him to an inn a short walk from here. I didn¡¯t get the name but I remember the path.¡±


    The kid started talking and seemed too scared to stop. Cato finished slitting the throats of two of the people outside of the kid¡¯s sight.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, now turn and face the wall, do not turn around unless I tell you. Got it?¡±


    The kid started nodding his head even more vigorously and practically smashed his face against the side of the building.


    ¡®I suppose seeing the amount of violence earlier would do that to a kid.¡¯


    Cato grabbed the writhing elf by his hair and dragged him to the opposite wall of the kid and let him lean his back on it. I watched as he did the same to an unconscious but breathing elf and brought the two face to face. The conscious elf still had his mouth frozen shut but his eyes widened in fear.


    ¡°Eagle, you tell him that if he doesn¡¯t start talking about who he is affiliated with, working for and everything else he knows, he will regret being born.¡±


    I translated for Cato and thawed the ice. As a precaution I made a small bubble around that will break the air preventing any noise from leaking through. It was a good call as the first thing the elf did was scream at the top of his lungs.


    Cato shoved his knife straight into the man¡¯s mouth and no further sound came out.


    ¡°Can anyone hear us?¡±


    Cato asked without taking his eyes of the dazed man.


    ¡°Not unless they get within a few meters.¡± I couldn¡¯t see his face but could almost see Cato cracking a devil¡¯s grin.


    ¡°Good, good.¡±


    With the dagger in his mouth the man ceased making any noise and now stared wildly at us. Cato retracted the knife and motioned for the man to speak.


    ¡°You brats can go kiss my ass, you dare do anything then you will be hunted by boss.¡±


    Had the man not finished his threat by spitting into Cato¡¯s face then he could have had a bit more peace. Not taking it lightly, Cato took his time slicing open the unconscious elf¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Ask him if he knows what blood of his friends tastes like.¡±


    Cato posed a disturbing question that I relayed to the man. Immediately the man started shaking his head wildly and clamped his mouth shut. Cato grabbed the man¡¯s mouth and started squeezing, his right hand imbued with essence.


    As the force increased, blood started to trickle from the corner of the man¡¯s lips before a crack resounded from inside his mouth and a toe curling scream filled our ears. Tears streamed down the elf¡¯s face a quiet whimper.


    Cato flicked the blood off his hand,


    ¡°Ask him to speak again.¡±


    Once more I ordered the whimpering elf to speak but he shakily refused. Cato sliced the unconscious neck with one motion, pried open the other¡¯s mouth and blocked his nose. The elf was to drown, choke struggle to breathe as the blood continued to stream into his mouth.


    Cato kept it up for a short while before letting the elf regain his breath.


    ¡°T-th-the Rejected Grave will never-¡±


    The light behind the man¡¯s eyes dimmed and he died.


    ¡°Did you catch how he died?¡±


    Cato asked me.


    ¡°I was examining his body to make sure you don¡¯t kill him but some kind of foreign essence activated once he mentioned Rejected Grave. Must be some kind of secrecy oath that prevented him from talking. Would explain why a lackey like him kept silent for so long.¡±


    Cato gazed at the bloodied corpses and then at the kid.


    ¡°Tell him to stretch his hand out and give him a coin. If he listens to us then more will come. If he doesn¡¯t then he will join the people here.¡±


    I followed Cato¡¯s orders and the kid widened his eyes when given money, but it was quickly hidden when I warned him what will happen otherwise. Even in the dim lighting of the alleyway the pools of blood and mangled corpses were far too much for a child. Cato dealt with these men like hardened criminals when really they were petty thugs.


    ¡®I¡¯ve heard rumours of his ruthlessness, the brutal savage carving his way to the top of the organisation with the bodies of his enemies, but to see it first hand. Wow....¡¯.


    Even I was left speechless.

 Chapter 18 - Defeat

    ¡°Marden and Barth are here as per your request.¡±


    Sarden notified me as he walked through the door.


    ¡°Wonderful. What are you waiting for? Let them in.¡±


    I was eager to do anything in order to take a break from the stacks of paperwork. And besides, those two fools really pulled a number on the guild this time around. Putting down an entire behemoth and disappearing shortly after?


    The two buffoons stumbled through the doorway and bowed deeply in front of my desk.


    ¡°Come on now, no need for allies to bow. If anything I should apologize for calling you out so late.¡±


    ¡°Guild Master!¡± Sarden called out,


    ¡°It is improper for someone of your status to bow your head before a pair of adventurers, regardless of their rank.¡±


    Like usual responding with a stiff response and a rod up his ass. Little fluidity and flexibility in the man, preventing from advancing beyond a personal secretary. Not that I¡¯d let him go that easily.


    ¡°Sarden please, let me speak with old acquaintances as I wish.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    A prompt and well versed apology came.


    ¡°No worries, now why don¡¯t you give us some privacy?¡±


    There was a margin of hesitation as my order was processed and carried out.


    ¡°Phew, I see he¡¯s as stuck up as always.¡±


    Barth sighed as he took a seat on the other side of the table.


    ¡°And I see both of you are as unreliable as ever.¡±


    I took a breath to set my thoughts straight.


    ¡°I went over the brief report you sent and ignored the glaring inconsistencies. So why don¡¯t you start with explaining just how you managed to take down a behemoth on your own?¡±


    I stared keenly at their faces, having watched over them for the past thirty or so years let me catch their lies with ease.


    ¡°You used it didn¡¯t you?¡±


    I finally responded after a moment of silence.


    ¡°The flame of life, after you showed it to me I strictly forbid you from using it. If-¡±


    ¡°I had no choice. We wouldn¡¯t be talking had I not resorted to it. I took every single measure possible to contain it.¡±


    Marden interrupted, ¡®finally got them to speak up¡¯.


    ¡°And that, is the only reason I took no further action against you. You¡¯re lucky that no one outside this room is aware of it or you¡¯d be hunted and executed on all grounds possible.¡±


    I met his gaze with my own and didn¡¯t stop until he looked away.


    ¡°How long?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but no less than a year.¡±


    I leaned back in my chair, exasperated.


    ¡°Fine, so what about your month long absence?¡±


    While Marden continued to avoid my gaze Barth chuckled softly.


    ¡°We found a pair of kids and decided to take them in as our apprentices.¡±


    Barth was now staring at me with a smile.


    ¡°Took you long enough. I heard that there were several new additions and two of them started at the top silver rank. Very commendable but you understand that I can¡¯t just let you take several years off just to train them?¡±


    ¡°Several years? I¡¯d be shocked if by the end of the year they couldn¡¯t match your strength!¡±


    Barth started laughing to himself and Marden took the opportunity to speak up,


    ¡°More importantly, what would be so important to keep us back¡­?¡±


    I sunk back in my chair.


    ¡°Two weeks ago a strange artifact was identified between our and Lavir''s borders. With both sides only possessing a small unit to keep watch, a short skirmish broke out with our troops emerging victorious.¡±


    I took a small break and examined their reactions,


    ¡°This wouldn¡¯t be something major had the artifact not be one of a kind, never seen before and no records even hinting of such a thing¡¯s existence. Information on it is shut tighter than a dead man''s grip. The only thing my informant was able to relay is a rumour that the object was able to move and almost seemed to possess a minimal intelligence despite being made of inanimate objects.¡±


    ¡°But how is that even possible?! Is Lavir aware of this?¡±


    Marden exclaimed, the gravity of the situation sinking in.


    ¡°They remained quiet until several weeks ago where they started to dig up old agreements and treaties we set up that were allegedly broken by us. It is clear they just want the artifact for themselves but the situation is rapidly escalating.¡±This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    At this point even the dim-witted Barth began to pay attention.


    ¡°Anyways, this discussion will have to wait until a later point as it is largely a moot point. I¡¯m more interested in your pupils-¡±


    I stopped as a distant feeling of dread started to well up within me. Both Marden and Barth paled after a quick glance out the window and nod at each other. I knew something was wrong and followed their gaze to the window. There wasn¡¯t anything out of the ordinary, I enhanced my sight with essence and spotted thin, wave-like yellow strands snaking across the night sky above Iyamore.


    An immense sense of bloodlust was emanated by the strands, but the effect was greatly diminished. Like the fallout of a battle, the smell of blood stretching for miles but nothing compared to what it would be at the source.


    I set up all of the mental defences and fail-safes possible before reaching to the strands with my own essence. The two buffoons behind me realized what I intended to do and called out,


    ¡°Guild Mast-¡±


    Their cries were cut short as I finally came into contact with a strand. A gasp was forced out of me and my vision dimmed for a brief moment.


    I stood on a wooden platform overlooking an entire army, no less than half a hundred thousand men all stood in formation and faced me. Without conscious thought I took a deep breath and shouted,


    ¡°Today we stand united, as one against the vile forces of Lavir seeking to spill our blood and claim our lands as their own. To take everything we and generations passed worked so hard to create.¡±


    ¡®What is going on?! This isn¡¯t me! Why are these people rallying under my command?¡¯


    Marden, Barth and Sarden stood to my sides.


    ¡°For years they have destroyed our hard work and slaughtered the innocent. Today we shall make our final stand and Drive. Them. BACK!¡±


    I finished my speech and a chorus of shouts rang from everyone present.


    ¡®Why can¡¯t I control my body?¡¯


    [The enemy is near!]


    Marden¡¯s voice rang across my mind as my body turned to look ahead and spotted a shimmer grow increasingly large. It swelled in size until it encompassed the area around the army and parted revealing Lavir troops surrounding ours from three sides.


    ¡°To arms!¡±


    ¡®How could the enemy pull off an illusion of such a scale? The mana required would be astronomical.¡¯


    My body shouted out again and the men scrambled to ready themselves and face the incoming attack. Multiple presences revealed themselves atop the platform with me. At once they rushed with daggers, no doubt poisoned. I unsheathed my sword, infused myself with essence and started cutting dozens by the second.


    It was not enough as they re-appeared one after the next, cloaked and highly skilled.


    ¡®A surprise attack? Are the others ok?¡¯


    My control over the body returned and I looked where Sarden stood. His body was collapsed, on top of which rested Marden. Being a mage in such a close quarter fight and being unable to unleash his powerful spells for fear of damaging the army.


    Fear and anguish spread within me at a frightening rate. Despite finally being in control of my body I felt more helpless than ever before.


    Barth and I were forced back to back as the bodies of our enemies toppled off the platform, the space taken up by others. It didn¡¯t matter how many times I swung my blade or how many lives I¡¯ve taken. The hooded figures kept coming.


    The army, outflanked by the enemy and without a leader were being cut down by the hundreds. The unbearable situation caused my attention to waver for a moment and an enemy snuck past my defences, landing a cut on my left arm.


    As I had predicted the poison quickly paralyzed my arm, crippling my offence and defence. In a short moment I felt several more cuts all over my body and my vision blacked out.


    ********


    I groggily opened my eyes. Unable to move my body, I was forced to look around with my eyes. A shock ran through me as I realized all of my armour was gone and only tattered shirt and pants remained. My hands were tied behind my back and I was kneeling.


    ¡°Finally awake, general?¡±


    An unknown voice spoke out. The person came closer and his feet came into view.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you look around¡­¡±


    The man snapped his fingers and found control over my neck return. I looked around, still on the wooden platform the cloaked bodies were removed and instead only the bodies of Sarden, Barth and Marden remained.


    All of them were filled with gashes and cuts ¨C their deaths were anything but quick. Hatred welled up within me but still I couldn¡¯t move.


    ¡®Everyone, I¡¯m sorry for failing you.¡¯


    The one place I refused to look at was the city. Up until this point I ignored the distant crackling noises, refusing to believe. But now that I saw the giant inferno that came from within the wall I had no other choice.


    The city that I was born, grew up and lived in. The city I devoted my entire life to was being burned to the ground, its protectors lay dead below the platform and the citizens helpless before the might of a foreign army.


    ¡°Your city destroyed, your army crushed, your friends and everything you loved set ablaze. Only you remain. But don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll be joining them shortly.¡±


    I looked up at the man standing in black plate armour, tinted with strands of gold. He brought his foot up to my chest and pushed me off the platform.


    I could do nothing as the poison dulled my muscles, the feeling of weightlessness abruptly stopped by rough hands. Chuckles and laughter rang among people around me. They ripped my clothes off, prodded, groped and destroyed the last shred of my dignity and pride I had.


    Tears began to flow down my face as everything I lived for destroyed in an instant. The sight of my home burning ingrained in my mind.


    ********


    ¡°Guild Master?¡±


    Marden spoke out as he noticed me leaving my trance. I was back in my office with everything as it was before. A single tear made its way across my cheek as I suppressed the memories of my experience.


    ¡°Do both of you see the yellow strands of essence?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but they are extremely faint and hard to make out.¡±


    ¡°Sarden!¡±


    I called out for him, the door clicked open before I could even finish his name.


    ¡°Yes, m¡¯lady?¡±


    ¡°I want you to notify everyone here in under no circumstances should they interact with the yellow essence present in the air. Anyone who does so voluntarily forfeits their life and mind. No questions. Now go!¡±


    I gave him a command and turned towards the last two people present in the room.


    ¡°Seeing as how both of you paled at the sight of the yellow essence you must know something about it and will accompany me as we track the source down.¡±


    ¡°Yes ma''am!¡±


    They let out a uniform response and followed me out the door.


    ¡®Just what kind of monstrosity can exhibit such killing intent, fuse with the most powerful illusion spell and deploy it across a large distance?!¡¯


    We must find and put an end to it at once.


    The three of us raced across the rooftops under the veil of darkness. Within minutes we scaled the outer wall and followed the yellow essence. Racing at the top speed an orichaclium rank adventurer can keep up, it took us another ten minutes to reach the source.


    The smell of something roasting lingered in the air, permuted by the metallic scent of blood and death. It was a bandit¡¯s camp. There weren¡¯t any sentries or noise coming from within.


    Cautiously I rushed inside to stop the monster¡¯s rampage,


    ¡®Thank god it decided to ravage a bunch of bandits and not the city itself.¡¯


    I passed countless bodies, all of their faces scrounged in fear and shock. A wolf¡¯s howl echoed from the center of the camp. I checked that Marden and Barth were still behind me and increased the pace once more.


    The center bonfire was ablaze and next to it sat a child. A second child lay collapsed, was clad in more essence than I imagined possible. Unconscious.


    ¡°Eagle¡­ Cato¡­ is that you?¡±


    Marden spoke up in a quiet voice behind me. I faced him,


    ¡°You know them?¡±


    I asked, stunned that they would know the shapeshifters giving off the nauseating bloodthirst. Anyone below platinum would have fainted should they get within an arrow¡¯s reach.


    ¡°They¡¯re our students.¡±


    Barth spoke up this time.


    ¡®Those shapeshifters were legitimate children? Whose devil spawns were they?!¡¯


    ¡®Just what the fuck is going on?¡¯

 Chapter 19 - Saving A Friend

    Eagle and I followed the kid around the marketplace, towards an inn where the merchant resided. After what the kid saw I doubt he would lie to us. And even if he told the authorities, well, who would believe him?


    A pair of kids killing several armed thugs in cold blood?


    ¡®Yeah right.¡¯


    It didn¡¯t take long for us to arrive at another inn in a more secluded part of the city. There wasn¡¯t anything special about the place and after Eagle asked the kid whether he knew anything else, we let him go.


    Eagle went inside to check if the merchant was actually in the inn while I moved onto a roof across the building and waited. I barely had enough time to settle down as Eagle left the building,


    ¡®Well that was fast, did the brat really trick us?¡¯


    I watched as Eagle scaled his way up and plopped down next to me.


    ¡°Well, the guy is definitely in there. No sooner had I walked in that I spotted several people dressed in armour surrounding a table at which sat a man getting himself piss drunk. They wore flashy clothes, the kind you¡¯d see at a play. Someone muttered about bandits getting rich and went passed me.¡±


    Eagle told me nonchalantly.


    ¡°Fair enough, let¡¯s wait for him to leave and trail him once he¡¯s left. No way will the guards let the bandits just wander into the city and neither is he going to let anyone else handle his merchandise. I¡¯ll stay here. You go to the other side and keep an eye on the back doors.¡±


    ¡°Sure, but you¡¯ll seriously owe me after we¡¯re done. Sitting on the rooftops for god knows how long just to find some wolves.¡±


    Eagle got up and while still muttering, hopped downwards to the ground and out of sight. Both of us were left to roast atop the roof under the sun for a short while. By which I meant from noon to dusk.


    Only once the moon was visible did the merchant and his gang exit the building. He seemed a bit tipsy, but the group walked without making a noise. I notified Eagle through the ear piece and together we trailed them past the two gates and out of the city. Out in the open following the merchant was a breeze as they trampled anything in their wake.


    We found the location of the bandits¡¯ camp after an hour of tracking through the dark forest and the merchant group was greeted by a sentry. Several sentences were traded before the merchant and a single of his escorts was let through. Compared to the countless high tech headquarters I was tasked with infiltrating, the bandit¡¯s camp was a walk in the park. Especially when it was night time and most people were asleep.


    To make things even easier the merchant and his guard were led to a single, oversized tent at the very end of the camp; far from any prying eyes. As soon as the three men entered the tent we followed suit. It was obvious the wolves were held there.


    ¡®I am NOT failing this time.¡¯


    Beckoning with my left hand for Eagle to follow, we crept inside the tent. It took a few seconds for my eyes to adjust to the inside, dimly lit by a single lamp with a flickering candle in the hands of one of the men. The three spoke of something but I didn¡¯t bother listening in, instead hid behind a stack of crates and waited for them to leave.


    A few more dark minutes went by as I sat motionless, listening to the footsteps dying out.


    [Hu...man?]


    A familiar, but distinct voice echoed in my mind. I took out a flashlight and scanned the room, careful to not shine through the tent. At the far end, past countless containers, hanging chains and other miscellaneous stolen merchandise were two medium sized cages.


    I directed the light inside the two cages and spotted the cubs. They were still covered in the cuts from the previous fight, several injuries were covered in pus. A faint sizzling sound came from them. I chipped of a piece of wood from a nearby crate and threw it into one of the cages.


    Electricity arced out from between the bars to burn the wood and after it landed inside a continuous sizzling came from it. The two beautiful cubs were being held in electrified cages. Fury began to well up within me as the two cubs were replaced by Asher and myself when we were kids


    ¡®Those bastards, I swear¡­¡¯


    Eagle placed a hand on my shoulder and shook his head. I calmed myself down and looked behind the cages. There was a rack of some sort. Getting closer to inspect it I realized it was a tanning rank, on which the otherworldly coat of their parent hung.


    [Mo...ther...]


    Even though the voice came quietly across in my mind the grief behind it was clear as day.


    ¡®Those ASSHOLES took their mother, cut her up and hung her in front of the same children she died saving?! And they had the heart to put the almost dead cubs in ELECTRIFIED cages?!¡¯


    Within a split second logic and reasoning ceased to exist within me as something greater than fury took over. Only one emotion fueled me¡­


    A voice whispered in my mind but one word, [revenge] and I wanted to do nothing but comply.


    ********


    I retracted my hand back from Cato¡­


    ¡®No, that, whatever that is¡­ it''s no longer him.¡¯


    The thought that the man who never lost his temper, killed thousands without batting an eye was now frozen in rage was unthinkable.


    I took several steps back, the bloodthirst coming off him several magnitudes worse than before; it was constricting and painfully nauseating. After looking at the tanning rack I could tell something snapped inside of him. My knees shook in protest as I tried to stay standing while Cato¡¯s body approached me. His eyes no longer containing a trace of white but a swirling vortex of black and strands of red.


    Perhaps he recognized me subconsciously or didn¡¯t see me as a threat but he walked towards the cages and with a single flick of his knife, cut both of them open.


    ¡®How the fuck? There is no way he could reach several meters in front of him without moving!¡¯


    He crawled inside and lifted the two cubs out despite the furious arcing coming from the cages¡¯ bars.


    ¡®I knew that he went through some serious training, but to shrug of that much electricity?!¡¯


    Once the two were safe on the ground he pointed at them and uttered a single word, ¡°heal¡±.


    I wasted no time in kneeling before the cubs and using my essence to clean or cleanse their wounds. Whatever took over Cato¡¯s body could wait until later, for now I needed to make sure I survived.


    Having done the most I can without a better understanding of their bodies¡¯ structure Cato said another word,You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    ¡°Stay.¡±


    The fact that he gave me two consecutive commands eliminated all doubt that Cato was no longer in control. ¡®He despised giving commands more than anything, was never sure why. Shit. How am I going to turn him back?¡¯


    He marched towards the exit of the tent, not caring to avoid any crates in his path, merely walking through them as they splintered and shattered. Once he stepped outside, a crimson red aura enshrouded him and he took off.


    I couldn¡¯t even follow him, only by enhancing my vision and hearing could I hear the distant screams as he moved from one bandit to the next. I tried to follow him but he might as well be teleporting for all the good it did.


    Several bodies lay in my path and I examined them. A clean cut across their neck or pierced through the heart they all were. The frightening part that their faces were all scrounged in pure terror or those of men tortured for months, the face of complete defeat.


    After several more minutes of screaming and frantic shouting the camp became silent. I found Cato collapsed in front of the central fire, his previous blood red aura replaced by a sweet, golden one. I stepped closer and the two cubs limped towards his body. Both curled up around him and fell asleep.


    ********


    ¡°Come on small guy, time to haul your ass out of bed.


    I groggily opened my eyes, awakened by Eagle.


    ¡°Morning sleepy head.¡±


    Sitting up I looked around.


    ¡®When did I go to bed...dammit, must have passed out again.¡¯


    ¡°You know Cato, I¡¯ve lost count of how many times I woke you up over the past month.¡±


    Eagle got up from the chair beside my bed and tossed me my clothes.


    ¡°Come, Marden and Barth are waiting for us.¡±


    I jumped out of bed and got dressed, not worrying about Eagle watching me. The two of us both saw each other in far darker and more gruesome situations.


    ¡°What do those guys want with us? And what happened at the camp? After we entered that tent my memory becomes foggy.¡±


    Eagle led me through the door,


    ¡°Well you busted a nut or something. Never seen you that pissed in a¡­ well never actually. Your essence completely enshrouded you and turned blood red. After that you cut down bandit after bandit so fast that you may as well have been teleporting.¡±


    I clamped my eyes and tried to bring back the memory but my mind remained an empty void.


    ¡°After you calmed down a bit the two farts arrived with a chick that was about to cut us down had they not stopped her. It took a bit to get her to calm down but eventually they led us back to the guild place where you spent the night.¡±


    I followed Eagle around several more corridors before we arrived at a large door made of an exotic wood. The likes of which I have never seen before.


    Eagle pushed it open and we entered the room.


    ¡°.llew uoy fo htob ees ot dalg ,otaC ,elgaE¡°¡±


    Marden, who stood to the left of some women elf, spoke up with a smile.


    ¡°Tell him to get to the point, with him beaming like that I don¡¯t need to understand what he¡¯s saying to see the matter being pranced around.¡±


    There were two chairs in front of a large desk behind which sat the lady elf. I seated myself as Eagle exchanged several more sentences before looking at me. I got a brief opportunity to look at the leader of the guild, a stunning elf beauty. She had silky white hair, charming green eyes and figure that stood out even through the loose clothing she wore. No doubt would she be the most desirable woman on Earth.


    ¡°Listen, the two were forced to tell her about us and after seeing our talent, she wants to send us to an academy for several years to bolster the guild¡¯s reputation and further improve our talents. Apparently it¡¯s the best there is and two passes have been acquired for us both.¡±


    I thought over the information for a bit as Eagle motioned with his hand and Marden showed two glowing envelopes, also sneaking a peek at the elf.


    ¡°Eagle, convey what I am about to say with identical expression. Got it?¡±


    A curt nod was all I needed,


    ¡°Like FUCK we are going to some academy. Tell both of them that if they give me that pass I will shove it up their ass and set it on fire. And if they send me by force the student body will quickly dwindle and no way in HELL will they find proof it was me. I ended up here for god knows what reason. I. DO. NOT. WANT. TO. BE. HERE. My only goal for the past several years is to find Asher and that has not changed.¡±


    I finished my barrage of words,


    ¡°Hahaha¡±


    Eagle started laughing.


    ¡°Sure thing, boss.¡±


    A glare shut him up, he stuck out a hand and a single finger, indicating for the other three to wait.


    ¡®Well, I suppose it would take a bit of time to translate that.¡¯


    I watched as Eagle did his damn best to replicate what I had said and judging by their stunned expressions, did one hell of a good job.


    I patted Eagle on the back and let a smug smile creep across my face as he turned towards me and gave a thumbs up. The elf woman was the first to recover from the shock and spoke to Eagle about something.


    ¡°She wants to know if there is anything that would make us reconsider. And before you say no, I inquired about the rumoured artifact of unknown origin.¡±


    Eagle¡¯s previously happy-go-lucky mood took a one-eighty turn.


    ¡°And?¡±


    I asked him.


    ¡°While she has limited information about it, I¡¯ll be damned if it doesn¡¯t sound like something of Earthen origin. Something akin to the rovers we sent out. Only it¡¯s not clear if it is the more modern ones or the decade old ones sent to neighbouring solar systems.¡±


    It was now my turned to be completely shocked.


    ¡°Moreover, it is currently in possession of the royal family and is being tinkered with as we speak. Cato, we need to get our hands on it before they cause irreparable damage and I believe that elf can act as the medium.¡±


    I clenched my jaw and thought of what this meant.


    ¡®Were in the same solar system as Earth?¡¯


    ¡®Or are we in a different one altogether. Knowing this is crucial to find Asher, but to go back after I had Eagle translate for me earlier¡­¡¯


    With a deep breath,


    ¡°Fine, tell her that if we can get that artifact within five days we will go to the academy until we sufficiently bolstered the guild¡¯s reputation and have little to nothing more to learn.¡±


    I was never one for negotiations more complicated than information extraction, so I did my best to look for clues on the ladies¡¯ face. She replied to Eagle with several words. No emotion displayed.


    ¡°Well, looks like we got ourselves a deal Cato. Perhaps getting back home and finding Asher isn¡¯t a pipe dream for you after all.¡±


    ¡°Enough, tell them we¡¯re leaving.¡±


    Giving Eagle a short moment to translate I turned and headed for the exit. Eagle caught up to me within a minute and passed on more chores,


    ¡°They gave us this mission that¡¯s been ignored by most adventurers. It has something to do with finding out why the local livestock kept disappearing around the neighbouring farms. There were footprints of¡­¡±


    Eagle stopped reading for a second,


    ¡°...wolves.¡±


    A stream of information filled my mind, reminding me of the horrid conditions the cubs were being kept in.


    ¡°Eagle, where are the cubs?¡±


    Eagle almost tripped as I posed the question,


    ¡°So you still remember them? I told them to wait just outside the bandit camp until we returned.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to lead me to them, and I will ask if they had anything to do with it.¡±


    Eagle gave me a confused look as we left the building.


    ¡°Ask? How are you going to do that?¡±


    ¡°Dunno, they just sort of reply to me with a single word telepathically.¡±


    I looked at Eagle as he just shook his head and muttered something to himself.


    ¡°Before I forget, here is your identification card. Pouring some essence should radiate the light of our rank and our name.¡±


    Sure enough, by pouring a bit of essence the card light up in a white light and shortly afterwards my name was spelled out in letters glowing the same colour. Pocketing our cards, both of us cut any essence we had and relied on pure muscle to jog to where the cubs were. It took us nearly two hours but provided a good workout for the morning.


    As we walked past the last set of trees I spotted the two cubs sitting straight, their bodies shaking, struggling to stay upright.


    ¡°That¡¯s, that¡¯s exactly where I told them to stay¡­¡±


    Eagle said with a stumped voice.


    ¡°You retard!¡±


    I shouted and flicked him on the side of his head.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think they would would listen to me!¡±


    Eagle tried to justify his actions,


    ¡°Much less understand me.¡±


    I ignored his muttering as we approached the two cubs whose eyes lit up in fear, but quickly softened after recognizing us.


    ¡°Hey you guys, don¡¯t take our orders literally, you can relax now. Why did you listen to him anyways?¡±


    No sooner had I finished saying that, both of them collapsed and followed us with their eyes.


    [Because...you...did...not...kill...him]


    ¡®Oh, they must have made the connection¡­.wait what? Kill him? Just who did I- oh the bandits.¡¯


    ¡°Hey Eagle, can¡¯t you heal them?¡±


    He shook his head,


    ¡°I already did my best, unless they can freely control their essence and remove all of it from their bodies, I won¡¯t be able to inspect their insides to learn how they are made up. Unless I know what makes them tick, I can do little more than-¡±


    [It...done]


    One of the cubs sent me a message, I turned to tell Eagle,


    ¡°No, I heard it that time as well. Guess you weren¡¯t kidding that they can speak with their minds.¡±


    As Eagle sat down to analyze their bodies and heal them,


    ¡°You guys aren¡¯t responsible for eating the local animals in¡­ cages that other people had?¡±


    [No...choice...other...wolves...not...let...hunt...we...needed...food]


    ¡°Thought so.¡±


    I started gently patting both of their heads, avoiding any cuts not yet healed.


    [When...others...found...out...they...hunted...us]


    ¡°Eagle, once you¡¯re done. We¡¯ll go hunting for some food and head back. These guys were forced to steal the livestock because the other wolves didn¡¯t let them take their prey. Once they found out what the mother and the cubs did, a war broke between them.¡±


    I told Eagle.


    ¡°Let me guess; you ended up being called out to help in your mind, managed to kill the wolves and save these two?¡±


    Nodding I replied,


    ¡°Pretty much.¡±

 Chapter 20 - Announcement

    ¡°Sir! Everything is set up and ready for the announcement.¡±


    A man with a headset spoke out. There were dozens of like-dressed people working behind computer screens lined up in rows. It was a scene reminiscent of Hollywood movies depicting NASA¡¯s mission control.


    A single man stood on a platform overlooking nearly fifty workers tapping away on their keyboards.


    ¡°Good, I want to see the announcement on the main screen here. It must finish no matter what happens.¡±


    The man finished the order and looked up at the ten-meter-wide screen which had an old-fashioned, grey countdown ticking down from ten. Once the counter hit zero the feed flickered and a man sitting upon a chair was all that was visible. A single spotlight blocked out anything else.


    ¡°Hello world. My name is Signis and I am the organisation¡¯s leader. In the light of recent discoveries, I have decided to make our presence known to everyone. The following message is being streamed across the globe in every major news channels, radio stations and media outlets. So without further ado, here are some images to spark an interest.¡±


    Various images replaced the man, they started with various angle shots of Mars,


    ¡°This is the planet Mars, our neighbour planet and our current goal for colonization. Until recently it was accepted by all major organisations and governments as inhabitable. However, those are the images used to fool everyone.¡±


    The man¡¯s voice carried on as the images were replaced by new ones, depicting Mars with various colours; blue, green and white.


    ¡°This, is the truth. About a month ago we have discovered countless such images in databases across organisations controlled by governments and private corporations.¡±


    The images began to zoom in. Clouds became clearly visible, trees, vegetations, lakes, oceans, etc. Countless images zoomed in and got replaced.


    ¡°Yet that is not all, what was of particular interest to us was this.¡±


    All of the images disappeared and replaced by images of foreign structures, cities, things that nature could not create. Perfect angles, squares and other geometric shapes made up of stone, wood and other materials.


    ¡°As you can see, these structures are clearly not made by nature. This meant that there is only one explanation. We, are not alone in this universe. There are other intelligent beings out there and the closest ones are right here in our own backyard.¡±


    ¡°The government has suppressed this information but we feel that it must be exposed for everyone to know!¡±


    The speaker¡¯s voice increased a bit.


    The man watching the stream from inside the room spoke up,


    ¡°Status report!¡±


    ¡°Sir! We estimate nearly four billion people are watching or listening to this stream of this moment, the number is skyrocketing by the second. Many are attempting to switch to news channels or other sources of information to backup our claims but are unable to do so as we took control of them all.¡±


    The man shook his head in approval and stroked his chin.


    ¡°What of our security?¡±


    ¡°Well, there hasn¡¯t been any major attacks, in fact, after the first minute there were a few minor attempts but after that they all ceased.¡±


    The man reporting to Ignatius looked worried.


    ¡°Very well, continue with your work.¡±


    ¡®Not a single attack huh? Just who else is working behind the scenes?¡¯


    ¡°But that is not all,¡±


    The images disappeared and the video returned to the man,


    ¡°The reason the governments are withholding such information is because they are losing control, being overrun. I¡¯m sure most of you have heard of the increase of terrorist attacks and criminal activity?¡±


    The man took an elaborate pause.


    ¡°Well it is because they cannot cope, cannot adopt fast enough with their trifling diplomacy, withholding information from one another. By doing so they are putting their citizens at risk. A risk which stems from the super humans. That is what we are referring to them as of now. They have increased agility, strength, reflexes and defences.¡±


    The video began to show numerous videos of people performing impossible acts, being shot and not bleeding, bending metal bars with two fingers, jumping several meters into the air.


    ¡°What can the police do when bullets are ineffective? Nothing. They are forced to call in special teams just to handle purse snatchers.¡±


    Another pause was taken as the video returned to the man.


    ¡°Well we are not them, and we have the solution. We have created several prototype machines that nullify such powers in an area around them. When these super humans are exposed to them their powers stop working and they become regular people like us.¡±


    The man stood up and started to slowly approach the camera.


    ¡°It is time to put an end to trivial matters such as pointless bickering between countries and become united, a single nation that will finally explore the depths of space as one. Should the governments agree to help and cooperate with us then we can promise to have people landing and living on Mars within twelve months. The nullifying machines will become placed in the streets and we shall bring peace to the entire world.¡±Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    The man walked towards the camera and crouched down, only his face was visible,


    ¡°To show everyone that we mean business, check all the major news, we have struck countless deals with governments to have their suppressions removed for the next twenty-four hours. Oh and the major terrorist groups have been crushed by us to show that we mean business.¡±


    The man turned around and walked to the center of the spotlight, next to his chair. With his back to the camera he said,


    ¡°We will give all the governments the same twenty-four hours to agree to work with us. If you, the ten BILLION people, enjoy the safety and information we provide, then you can fill out a simple form provided by us. If you wish to have our continued support then fill it out and should seventy-five percent or more of a country''s population sign up, then we will attempt to convince the governments that refused, to cooperate.¡±


    The man turned and sat back down on the chair.


    ¡°That is all, we hope that you will have a wonderful day.¡±


    The screen switched to one displaying, ¡°Look up ¡®The Organisation Form¡¯ or go to organisationform.com to fill out the form.¡± The message lasted another ten seconds before disappearing. The screen turned dark.


    The same man who reported earlier stood up,


    ¡°Sir, our estimates show that nearly three-quarters of the world¡¯s population saw our livestream and the remainder will shortly follow. Very few people have signed up for the form but that is expected as most will wait for someone to validate or refute our claims-¡±


    Ignatius outstretched his arm to stop the man,


    ¡°Have there been any new attempts to breach our defences?¡±


    ¡°No sir.¡±


    Ignatius motioned for the man to continue his work.


    ¡®Dammit, what is going on here? The only reason we had broadcasted from our headquarters, where our defences are the best, was to ensure we don¡¯t get hacked in mid-stream and our credibility ruined. With no attacks, something is wrong.¡¯


    ¡°Sir! Incoming transmission!¡±


    ¡®And there it is.¡¯


    ¡°Put it on screen.¡±


    The previously black screen lit up once more. A single white, smiling mask contrasted with the pitch black background.


    ¡°Quite the show you put on, organisation. Not to mention the security you got here is no joke. We threw a couple of air horns down the rabbit hole to see how deep it goes but haven¡¯t heard anything back. Remarkable to say the least. Not to mention your background is a big bag of mystery.¡±


    The deep, robotic voice paused, and Ignatius took the opportunity to speak.


    ¡°Anonymous, to hear praise from your group of our security is rather surprising, but why don¡¯t you tell us what you¡¯re here for?¡±


    ¡°Well, did you not find it strange that no one tried to stop the stream, to mess with a power on the global scale?¡±


    The white mask on the screen remained motionless.


    ¡°Are you saying that was your work? That you were protecting us from everyone else?¡±


    ¡°Precisely. In trade, we wish to establish a far more personal partnership with you. A storm is brewing, and your organisation is at its helm. We merely wish to be on the side of the victor. So, what do you say? You can keep working as normal and we will watch your cyber back. The governments most likely cleaned all of their systems after your performance and with two of our forces breaking in once more will be a joke.¡±


    Ignatius gripped the railing in front of him.


    ¡°And should we refuse?¡±


    An eerie smile formed on the previously still white mask.


    ¡°Sir, Anonymous is attempting to break through our firewalls. The first few are gone. We have four remaining-¡±


    The man speaking was interrupted by someone shouting across the room,


    ¡° ten, hundred, over fifty thousand over a million attacks - 95% limit we cannot sustain!¡±


    The man winced and continued his report,


    ¡°At the rate they''re going it will take them a day to completely break into the system and have complete access to our database.¡±


    Ignatius made a motion cutting his neck with his hand. The communication was paused.


    ¡°I want the sources of the attacks tracked and eliminated, make this our number one priority.¡±


    The headset-wearing man replied,


    ¡°That will be difficult, we are forced to use most of our power to keep Anonymous from outright breaking through. Thus, any other actions will be drastically be slowed or halted.¡±


    Ignatius clenched his teeth.


    ¡°Very well, my order still stands, resume communications.¡±


    The mask returned to the previous emotionless state.


    ¡°I see you have returned, so what do you say?¡±


    ¡°For you to keep up such an attack, we both know is not easy. Your locations will be hit within hours and taken over by us.¡±


    ¡°So you wish for a battle of attrition? Do you believe that is a wise gamble considering your current, rather delicate, situation?¡±


    ¡®Fuck, they got us there. Such a gamble wouldn¡¯t normally matter but he¡¯s right, I can¡¯t take the chance.¡¯


    ¡°Very well, what are the terms?¡±


    The mask smiled,


    ¡°Simple, you give us access to one of your super computers as well as information, and we will provide additional security and crack down on just about anyone you ask.¡±


    ¡°Fine, we will provide a location and time where one of our operatives will meet up with you and discuss the finer points. Anything else?¡±


    Ignatius motioned for someone to carry out his order. The hierarchy in the organisation is immaculate, and everyone knows who to pass responsibility to should they be unable to carry them out.


    ¡°Nothing else, all of us wish for your success and hope for a peaceful cooperation between our parties.¡±


    The screen went dark once more and murmurs rose among the employees. The organisation had just struck two major deals that will make it dominate over the entire world, or fall and never to be seen again.


    ********


    ¡°Welcome back everybody to BCB news. Today we have a special-¡°


    I stopped mid-sentence as Joe motioned for me stop from behind the camera.


    ¡°Hey Charlette, you have got to see this. Our feed was completely stopped by someone blabbing some nonsense. It¡¯s not just us, it seems that just about every news station and channels were interrupted and were broadcasting the same thing!¡±


    Joe called me over and brought me inside the office where tens of reporters were watching the large screen in front of them. Images of Mars started popping up.


    ¡°This, this can¡¯t be real, right? That can¡¯t be Mars. NASA even released images showing it to be barren¡­¡±


    Someone started muttering to themselves. But otherwise the room was dead silent as everyone¡¯s attention was glued to the screen.


    ¡°No way, did the government seriously hide this from us? I know we were limited but to think it was that bad¡­¡±


    I started talking to myself,


    ¡®This is just beyond crazy¡¯.


    My doubts were eliminated once the man started discussing the increase of terrorists. A story of mine related to it that I wanted to publish, it would elevate my status by leaps and bounds, was shot down by the manager.


    Countless more gasps came about as the final statements came, ¡®the information suppression has been lifted? Is such a thing even possible?¡¯


    ¡°Everyone listen up! Everything that man has said, especially that twenty-four limit is true and I have just been notified that we are in the all clear.¡±


    ¡®Manager?!¡¯


    The short and chubby manager came from his office to speak to us.


    ¡°I want all of you to dig up the damn juiciest stories you have related to everything the man said and make sure the public is drowned in the information. I don¡¯t care what you have been reporting about until this point, this is now the point of focus!¡±


    He stopped and looked around.


    ¡°If all of you want to be able to freely report without countless restrictions, then go out there and bolster their reputation until they put World War heroes to shame. If you understand then get back to work!¡±


    I didn¡¯t even wait for the command and beelined straight for my studio. Joe was hot on my heels.


    ¡°Charlette, the social networks are literally blowing up. Some of the smaller ones couldn¡¯t handle it and have already crashed. The strain placed on all the major ones is starting to boggle them down making them almost unusable. We gotta act fast!¡±


    Joe gave me a short pep talk as he set up the camera and it focused on me.


    ¡°Welcome back everyone. I¡¯m sure you all wish to know more of this mysterious organisation and if what they say is true. We are receiving numerous reports by the minute but if nothing else, then the twenty-four-hour information release is true. As such, you must all be made aware of just what these super humans are¡­¡±

 Chapter 21 - Discovery

    Eagle and I camped out in the woods for two nights, giving the cubs time to fully heal and regain their strength. With the help of their sense of smell, finding and hunting prey was a trivial task. The two days allowed me to continue sparring with Eagle, training our essence and getting a better grasp on our powers without fear of others discovering our weaknesses.


    Of which there were plenty. For example, when I coated myself in essence, it acted as armour. Apply enough force and the armour in that spot would break.


    Kudos to Eagle for piercing my shoulder after putting too much power into one of his icicles.


    If I wanted to stop it, then the part of the essence stopping the icicle would need to become denser, more of it is needed.


    Pretty simple on paper, the more essence you put somewhere, the more hits it can take. The problem comes when you ask yourself,


    ¡®Well, where am I going to get hit?¡¯


    Moreover, the essence broken through was lost, unrecoverable and had to be regained through sleep or extremely inefficient meditation.


    The worst part was when Eagle asked me about my ability to jump off of air. I did by accident on several occasions but never understood how. He guessed that due to the colour of my essence that I could manipulate objects through telekinesis. Using this I was able to solidify the surface tension of the air and kicked off of it.


    To both of our disappointments neither of us figured out how. But the biggest problem was our small capacity of essence. Up until this point all of our fights or spars have lasted no longer than half a minute. After that all of our essence became exhausted and we were left defenceless.


    Thus we either killed by going all out at the start, or get killed in a drawn out fight. Leaving the thoughts behind I focused on the countless lines of people and caravans, merchants and traders seeking entry into the city of Iyamore.


    Having finished our task of finding the cause of local livestock disappearing and spent two days training, it was time for us to receive the artifact.


    Heck, we didn''t even know what the livestock looked like.


    [Fat...round...small...furry.]


    That was all the twins could tell us about them. The best image that came to mind was a small pig covered in white fluff, similar to a sheep.


    Several curious glances were casted in our direction. A pair of kids walking with two wolf-looking beasts half their height would seem strange.


    ¡°Cato, I still don¡¯t understand how you¡¯re able to solidify the air or the cubs communicate with us. This telekinesis stuff is driving me crazy!¡±


    Eagle roared in anger and practically had little fume trail coming out of his ears as his face was scrunched up in thought. The answer eluded him, I just left the thinking to him - no point in wasting energy on something already being done by someone else. We shuffled forward a few steps as a caravan or two were let inside the city.


    The amount of people entering and leaving was staggering. Had it not been for the two twins scaring off other animals and elves alike, we would have less than a handspan in front and behind us.


    I patted Eagle¡¯s shoulder and spoke up,


    ¡°Hey Eagle, did you see those¡­ adventurers that passed by us? Ignoring the line? Why can¡¯t we just cut ahead like them, none of them were sent back.¡±


    He promptly snapped out of his daze and looked around. It was clear that he was still deep in his thoughts, trying to figure out the whole essence business and find a scientific explanation for it.


    ¡°Oh? Right, let¡¯s do that. Getting the artifact sooner would be nice.¡±


    ¡®God, when something truly gets his attention it¡¯s like Eagle actually becomes dumber, just to think about his interests more - oh wait. Maybe me I¡¯m onto something here...¡¯


    I took the lead and led us away from the lines of people and down towards the gates. Eagle remained lost in his world. After a few minutes of walking over the gravel road we were stopped by a pair of guards.


    ¡°.ssenisub ruoy etatS¡±


    One of the guards droned in a bored voice. No doubt a line he said more times than the number of days he lived. Yet despite his obvious boredom, he was at the ready to jump into action, defend or attack at a moment¡¯s notice. The bored face was an act to put others at ease.


    ¡°?nwo rieht no ereh gniod sdik fo riap a era tahw ,tiaw oN¡±


    The second guard placed a hand in front of the first and stepped forward. A gentle jab got Eagle to step in front of me and speak,


    ¡°¡­ksat a morf nginruter srerutnevda er¡¯ew ,iH¡±


    Eagle reached out with his hand and hissed at me to pass my card.


    ¡°.sdrac ruo era ereH¡±


    The second guard scrutinized the cards, examining them from every angle before finally pouring some essence into them.


    A brilliant white line lit up the surroundings along with the guards¡¯ shocked faces.


    ¡°!?morf eseht laets starb uoy did ohW¡±


    I couldn¡¯t tell what the guard said but the tone was not all too pleasant. A short burst of essence into my legs and I hopped to the side of Eagle and then in front of him in the blink of an eye.


    The guard¡¯s eyes narrowed, he tried to take a step forward and intimidate us but failed to notice one of my daggers pressed against his stomach. One of the gaps in his armour exposed.


    ¡°! -uoy yhW¡±


    The guard jumped back and reached for the sword on his hip. HIs arm was stopped by the previously bored-looking guard. His hair was cut short and a small scar ran along his left cheek.


    ¡°.seveiht htiw gnilaed fo syaw nwo rieht sah dliug eht ,sediseB .ecnasiun a eb dluow taht htiw gnilaed ,deeps sih was uoY .og meht tel tsuJ¡±


    He looked at us and then the cubs,


    ¡°.uoy ot detcartnoc era yeht tbuod ylhgih I sa ,devaheb llew era sgod esoht taht epoh I¡±


    Some more gibberish came out but the look in his eyes was not one of hostility. While Eagle gave a short response I sheathed my dagger with a swift motion, took our cards and entered the city. Ignoring the countless looks of fear and interest from the people in the poorer district, I thought about the way Barth identified himself.


    He used some kind of light on his arm,


    ¡®No need for these pesky cards.¡¯


    ¡°What was wrong with those guards anyway, did they not like the twins, cards or both?¡±


    I asked Eagle, hoping to draw his attention away from the artifact if even for a while. What I saw were several shadows, blurs freeze and fall out of sight across the rooftops behind us. I felt a frown take form on my face,


    ¡®We¡¯re being followed. How come I didn¡¯t hear or notice them¡­


    ... Fucking essence. Those guys must be muting their footsteps and concealing their presence.¡¯


    ¡°Cato, are you even listening?¡±


    Eagle asked me, not looking all that happy with me having ignored whatever he said previously.


    ¡°We¡¯re being followed.¡± I said in a low voice.


    Eagle just raised an eyebrow to that,


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°Well, with those guys tailing us, it will take longer to get to the artifact. How does that make you feel?¡±


    Once I mentioned the artifact Eagle¡¯s eyes turned into a blue fire, getting in between him and his experiments was suicidal. A curt nod and he split up from me. Not a stranger to these tasks if he had any problems, he¡¯d flee and get my help immediately.


    I just didn¡¯t feel like dealing with a bunch of goons sent after us. I can¡¯t even interrogate them afterwards, so sending Eagle was the right choice. Not just laziness.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    The two cubs were walking on either side of me and I took the opportunity to scratch them behind the ear - they absolutely loved it. Tails wagged side to side as we strolled towards the second gate protecting the richer, middle section. The guild building was in there.


    Eagle joined up with us in the nick of time and we were let through without any issue. Despite handing the cards which gave off an identical light, no issues arose nor questions asked. As we walked down the cobbled streets several servants and merchants tried to buy the twins off of us, some even proposing absurd prices while others asked where we got them.


    I had Eagle just tell them that we found them in the forest, gave them some food and they started to follow us around. Yet that was not enough and by the time we approached the guild building we had a small crowd trailing behind us, eager to get their hands on the cubs.


    Thankfully the crowd could not follow us inside and we got a little breather. But even more surprising was the lack of reaction from anyone in the guild. The countless adventurers huddled in groups, looking at the jobs or requests plastered across the board didn¡¯t even bat an eye at two kids and the animals entering.


    Eagle and I proceeded down the middle of the hall to be met by the same ripped elf that greeted us at the front desk the first time. He gave us our payment for completing the task without even confirming whether we had carried it out.


    ¡°!won meht teg emoc nac uoY .ereh era starb owt eht ,nedraS iO¡±


    As we were about to leave the place and gathered our remaining gear from the inn, the elf shouted to someone. I didn¡¯t even notice as he approached us from behind and put a hand on both, mine and Eagle¡¯s shoulder.


    The elf¡¯s presence just appeared out of nowhere.


    ¡°.ecalap layor eht ot uoy ekat lliw hcihw egairrac ruoy ot uoy trocse ot ereh ma I ,yrrow t¡¯noD¡±


    I looked over at Eagle for an explanation,


    ¡°Remember how the artifact was being held lock and key within the royal palace? Well that¡¯s where we¡¯re headed. And the guy here, Sarden, will escort us.¡±


    ¡°Got it. Apparently testing us was part of the deal. Instead of just giving it to us we are being dragged into some political mess.¡±


    Eagle sighed reluctantly,


    ¡°Bingo.¡±


    ¡°Tell him that we want to get our stuff from the inn before leaving.¡±


    With that, Eagle said a few more words and we were led outside.


    ********


    ¡°Your Majesty, you must reconsider. Giving out an artifact as precious as this is a loss of endless knowledge. Knowledge that can give our country an advantage over everyone else. Not to mention that a pair of kids will be receiving it!¡±


    One of my court mages expressed their concern for the fiftieth time. I just ignored his remark once more and glanced over the royal throne room. A wide, open space, with the floor and columns made up of marble carefully entwined with orichalcum. It turned a wonderful combination of green, black and white that glistened any time of the day.


    Ridiculously expensive, but necessary. With the countless challenges, duels and fights that break out to prove one¡¯s right such a powerful material is needed to avoid countless repairs.


    I stared straight at the man who spoke against me.


    ¡°You have voiced your concern countless times the past days and I have heard enough of it. I will tell you one, last, time that nothing is being handed over unless the kids, as you put it, prove themselves knowledgeable and possessing potential. For a week you have tinkered with it and produced no results.¡±


    The robed man looked down with fake remorse.


    ¡®If not for his genius and previous discoveries he¡¯d be stripped of his title long ago for going against me.¡¯


    Despite the little outbreak the other five court mages stood still without looking in my direction. There were six of them in total, three to my left and three to my right. Two lines of knights stood from the door to my throne creating a passage wide enough for two people to stand abreast. The captain that just returned from gate duty was a few meters directly before me.


    ¡®Such a sight fills me with excitement. To show off the immeasurable might and power lined up, listening to every command and word I give¡­ for a bunch of kids.


    What a waste of time.¡¯


    The large doors on the other side of the room parted just enough to let a man through, it was the messenger.


    ¡°Your Majesty, the guests are here.¡±


    ¡®Finally. Now we can just embarrass the kids for life and get on with our lives.¡¯


    ¡®Just what was she thinking? Setting up an audience with me like that¡­¡¯


    The double-wooden doors parted and the kids stepped through. As on cue all of the knights withdrew their swords and slammed the tip of their blades into the floor, both hands resting on the hilt. The two kids kept walking and paid little attention to the display of power.


    What¡¯s more, they were completely unphased and showed no signs of fear or worry.


    ¡®Do they not sense the dense aura radiating off each of the knights? Should it not be enough make them cower in fear, or was this really just a joke?¡¯


    The kid with white hair was looking around as if he was in a candy shop, even going so far as to inspect the equipment on the knights, who were required to stand still no matter what. But the other kid¡­


    ¡®Interesting.¡¯


    He was staring straight into my eyes while walking forward with confident strides. Not faltering even once. Arrogance fused with confidence came off of him in waves. They stopped before the knight captain and nodded.


    ¡°Thank you for earlier today. Would have been a pain to get in otherwise!¡±


    ¡®He dares to ignore me and converse to someone else!?¡¯


    Several of the court mages shuffled uncomfortably,


    ¡®Well, skipping the introductions is perfectly fine.¡¯


    Just as I was about to give out the order, the same boy looked at me and spoke with an unwavering voice,


    ¡°Your Majesty, we thank you for granting an audience to mere kids and on top of that giving away a priceless artifact. We are beyond humbled.¡±


    ¡®At least they have a shred of respect.¡¯


    ¡°Please, do not think so highly of this meeting. To see and encourage our nation¡¯s future talents is worth more than any artifact ever will. On that note, in order for me to provide you with it, you must demonstrate sufficient ability not only in combat but knowledge as well.¡±


    I gave a respectful smile and waited their response.


    ¡°That is understandable, is there anything your Majesty wishes for us to do in particular?¡±


    ¡®How come only the white haired boy is talking?¡¯


    ¡°If you can demonstrate sufficient talent while fighting the man in front of you, it will be more than enough.¡±


    The boy nodded and turned towards his friend,


    ¡°.em ot eno taht evael nac uoY .ecnegilletni ruo evorp neht ,su no nwod gnikool yug eht thgif attog tsuj eW .thgir erew sesseug suoiverp ruo ekil smees ,thgirlA¡±


    The boy spoke to the other boy in a language unknown to me, and then questioned the captain,


    ¡°Is it acceptable for us to fight you at the same time?¡±


    Several snickers came from the guards lined up at that question,


    ¡®Did they think we would not let one of the most powerful fight two kids at once?¡¯


    ¡°Yes, you may come at me when you feel ready.¡±


    The captain replied and sheathed his sword. The two lines of guards took a few steps backwards to provide space, more out of habit than fear of getting in the way of such a small scale¡­ fight.


    The two boys spread apart, the mute one took out a dagger while the other one took a few paces backwards. The boy in the front started to not only cover himself in essence but focus most of it in his dagger wielding arm and legs.


    ¡®How can he use essence at such a young age? Why is it a golden colour? Not to mention he is able to control it to such a degree?!¡¯


    No, despite their outwards appearance these weren¡¯t normal kids. The kid charged forward with absurd speed. No sooner had he disappeared than a metallic clank came from across the room and he was back where he started. The boy was disarmed.


    Not to be caught off guard I enhanced my own sight with essence and continued to observe, ignoring the countless whispers coming from the guards and court mages. The boy took out another dagger and charged in the same manner at the captain,


    ¡®What is he planning to do this time?¡¯


    He took a few stabs and slashes which were difficult to pull off given the height difference. Yet, that didn¡¯t stop him from doing final lunge at the captain who stopped the blade by grabbing the kids hand,


    ¡®It¡¯s over, but even that short demonstration was more than-¡¯


    The boy flashed a quick smile and retracted the essence from his right hand and transferred it to his left, the golden aura increasing in size even further. He placed a foot in front of the captain and with a motion he must have practised countless times swung him overhead.


    ¡®The kid knows martial arts as well? No, we must have this kid under our control!¡¯


    Despite the captain being caught unaware,


    ¡®Such a little toss would do no damage.¡¯


    The kids surprised me once more when a square the length of captain¡¯s height froze and became covered in countless icicles. It was placed directly where he would fall.


    ¡®Now, that, might hurt a bit.¡¯


    I resisted the urge to blink to see how it all plays out and was not even surprised to see countless spikes taking form around the white haired kid and started spinning faster than I could follow.


    ¡®To be able to spin them fast enough to produce an audible noise¡­ incredible.¡¯


    Having no other choice the captain drew his sword and struck at all of the incoming projectiles, did a flip mid air and landed with his feet on two of the icicles all while the other kid managed to place the captain¡¯s dominant arm in a lock behind his back.


    Not a small amount of essence was used to coat his feet in order to prevent them from being pierced and even more to protect his arm from being injured by the kid on his back. The fight lasted no more than a few seconds but the amount of co-ordination and skill displayed was top tier.


    Not even I could hold back and clap at the magnificent performance the kids demonstrated. If they had anymore essence, the battle would sure be nothing less than legendary. But both of them were now seated on the ground, regaining their breath.


    The guards started tapping their swords on the ground in recognition of dagger kid¡¯s ability as a warrior and the court mages clapped for the other kid¡¯s ability as a mage. Both had boundless potential.


    The captain pivoted on the icicles and performed a magnificent bow that I have seen countless of times,


    ¡°Your majesty, was that performance satisfactory?¡±


    Not even I could deny the splendid fight that just took place, it¡¯s a real shame the kids¡¯ essence capacity is so low or we could have truly witnessed an unprecedented battle.


    ¡°More than just satisfactory, it was perfect. Bring the artifact. While we wait, could I know the names of such talented pair of individuals?¡±


    I motioned at the messenger who announced the kids¡¯ arrival in the beginning and he scurried outside.


    ¡°My name is Eagle, and my friend is Cato.¡±


    ********


    I raised myself as Eagle said what sounded like an introduction. No sooner had he finished than the messenger came inside carrying a metallic object. Eagle immediately raced forward and wrenched out of the elf¡¯s arms. He pulled a small knife from his pouch and started tinkering with...what looked like a small rover robot?


    While he was messing around with it I approached him, careful to keep up the confident appearence.


    ¡®Appear strong when you are weak and weak when you are strong.¡¯


    A saying that saved my life more than once. Several compartments were twisted or pried open and a single beeping noise rewarded his efforts a short while later.


    ¡°So, how far away are we?¡±


    Eagle didn¡¯t even turn around while he answered,


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe me even if I told you.¡±


    He nodded his head and continued to mess with the rover for a short while longer. The two of us were the sole focus of everyone¡¯s attention.


    ¡°We¡­¡±


    Eagle took a deep breath before relaying the information unto my ears,


    ¡°...are on Mars.¡±


    I slouched a bit and did my best to not mirror the look of shock on Eagle¡¯s face.


    ¡°Are You kidding me? ¡®Cause I may not be the most knowledgeable, but I have yet to see a speck of red dust.¡±


    Not that I didn¡¯t believe him, it¡¯s just everything I have seen so far is in complete opposition of what Eagle just told me. He remained motionless.


    ¡°Fuck, you¡¯re serious aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Eagle turned to face me and gave a sinister smile.


    ¡°This rover, it¡¯s not made by any of the official government space agencies I am aware of.¡±

 Chapter 22 - This is Fine

    ¡°Then who could¡¯ve¡­¡±


    My voice trailed off as everyone, everything came to a complete standstill. The guards, Eagle and the queen turned motionless. The air around me shimmered, distorting the light coming in.


    ********


    ¡°What? Then whose is it!?¡± A rough voice resounded across the tavern, causing all conversations to come to a halt.


    A well-built man reached for his cup sitting atop the wooden table, his burly arms bulging out of an intricate, white gown covering his chest. He threw his head back, emptied the metal cup bottom up and wiped his mouth with his hand before slamming down the cup against the tabletop he was seated at.


    The man rose from a nearby seat and after a single step, his body slanted, struggling to stay upright.


    ¡®Great, a drunkard. Just what I needed to keep a low profile.¡¯


    With one arm he steadied himself on the bartender¡¯s table and with the other grabbed the drink I ordered.


    ¡®Best if I just defuse the situation now and leave.¡¯


    ¡°Listen sir, I¡¯m afraid I drank too much already. Here take mine, it will be a shame to waste it.¡±


    ¡°Take yours?! Ye ¡®cusin me ¡®o stealin? In mah own house?!¡± The man¡¯s brows flared as he misunderstood my intention.


    ¡°B-Bob-sir! Please calm yeself! Tis is not worth dealin¡¯ with kids!¡±


    ¡°Quiet! I''m not standin¡¯ here while them brats ¡®cuse me o¡¯somethin¡¯ I ain''t done!¡±


    The man, Bob, slammed his fist onto the polished wooden table sending woodchips flying as it cracked. His friends,


    ¡®No, no friend refers to another as sir. Servants perhaps?¡¯


    His servants jumped out of their seats to try to stop him. But with a build three times my own and arms as big as a grown oak log, he knocked them down with a single sweep of his hand. With knitted brows, he glared down at us with the metal cup full of alcohol.


    ¡°Hey ye two! Quit fucking with me ya brats! You know who ya fucking with?¡±


    ¡®Negotiations broke down. Time for a more direct route.¡¯


    A sudden quiet that washed over the dimly lit inn. A multitude of hushed whispers together with the clinking of coins passed between strangers. I put myself on guard from the immediate threat. It didn¡¯t seem like the guy would be difficult to handle, even more so in his drunken stupor. Even so,


    ¡®If I don¡¯t finish this fast, protecting the child sitting beside me will prove to be quite a difficult task¡¯.


    As the tension in the air escalated, Bob¡¯s servants went to the front of the inn. Most likely to call the guards they have no doubt bribed.I rose from my seat to face the challenger, all while imbuing trace amounts of essence into my arms and legs, to not be detected.


    Bob placed a foot back, brought his right arm back and wobbled. His sense of balance sapped by the alcohol. I took the opportunity and burst into action.


    ¡®Ack!''


    After a single blow to his stomach, the elf fell from his feet and planted his face onto the wooden floor. The cup was released from his hold and the contents spilled beside his face.


    I was about to turn and leave with the kid when three figures came running through the door.


    ¡°I am terribly sorry for my son¡¯s behaviours. Please forgive me.¡± Said a stout lady.


    Her looks were strangely similar to Bob''s who was lying on the floor.


    ¡®Wait, the servants called for his mother?¡¯


    ¡°Mom¡­¡± Bob wailed. His voice drowned in his parent''s anger.


    ¡°Tis is all fine. You will be dealt with later.¡±


    Bob¡¯s face went pale. He stopped struggling to raise himself and dropped down in defeat. He laidmotionless, as if there was no life left in him.Despite his mother having dealt with the matter of her son¡¯s punishment, I did not relax in the least bit.


    ¡®How would she react to me injuring her son?¡¯


    I readied more essence in case she was as rash as her son, but will her servants fight as well? In that case fleeing with the child would be easier than protecting him.


    ¡°How dare you try to lay a hand on our customer!¡± To my utter amazement, she directed her voice towards the drunken elf.


    ¡°P-please, forgive me, mother.¡±


    An almost inaudible whisper came from the still Bob.


    ¡°My dear, I hope you are alright and my foolish son did not cause any problems for you. Please, is there anything that will allow you to forget this incident?¡±


    As the lady said that the two servants behind her showed a stoic expression.


    ¡°...If you could cover the bill for me, then I will be more than happy to take my leave.¡±


    I smiled and gave a polite bow.


    ¡°Very well, in that case I wish you the best of luck in your travels.¡±


    Bob¡¯s mother did not show any sign of respect or kindness. Instead walked over to the bartender and started speaking with him about something. Having finished, she motioned for her servants to pick up her son and the four of them walked out the door.


    Only after they left did I lessen the essence in my body and glanced over my left shoulder.


    ¡®He''s safe. Good.¡¯


    With that over it¡¯s time to get a move on,


    ¡®The brown-haired child seemed frightened, it¡¯s best to make sure the boy trusts me. It¡¯d be a pain if he runs away.¡¯The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    I stepped towards the boy with a smile,


    ¡°Are you hurt?¡±


    ¡®Wait, why am I even protecting this kid?¡¯


    ¡°Nu-uh¡±


    The boy shook his head while clutching his teddy bear. Its arms were singed from the fire that took his house. He was lucky that his dad left to go visit his grandparents, his mother¡­. wasn¡¯t so fortunate. I shook off the doubts I had from a moment ago and asked,


    ¡°Are you ready to go to your grandparent¡¯s house and find your dad?¡±


    I asked the boy while patting his head and ruffling his hair to keep him at ease.


    ¡°Mhm¡±


    A short response was the most I could get out of him ever since I found him in the remains of the house.


    ¡°Alright, follow me then.¡±


    Once he hopped down from the stool I led him out of the tavern and down the road towards the northern gate. His family lived south of the city as hunters. While his grandparents lived the same distance north of the city, also as hunters. A tradition passed on for generations in their family.


    I¡¯m not sure why, but seeing the boy standing before the dying flames, crying in silence made me want to help him out. After I found by helping him I would pass through the city, my decision was solidified.


    As we passed countless buildings I took his hand when it became far too crowded and headed for one of the blacksmiths. My gear was long past due repairs, and some were unsalvageable. I traded some furs with a tanner and meat with a butcher before entering the tavern hoping to get something to eat. We had just finished our meal when the drunkard decided to interrupt us.


    I clenched my fists,


    ¡®How could that brute frighten a child after what he had been through?¡¯


    Finished cutting through the market, I led the boy down a few more turns and we arrived at one of the blacksmiths.


    ¡°Five silvers for the replacement of the three throwing knives and two for the dagger.¡±


    I started up another round of bartering.


    ¡®Greedy bastards, the lot of them.¡¯


    The elf across the counter shook his head with crossed arms,


    ¡°No can do, with the poor condition those things are in, I could barely even make a single dagger out of them combined! Ten is the lowest I¡¯m willing to go.¡±


    I took the dagger and started twirling it in my hand,


    ¡°How about nine and I¡¯ll put in a good word for you with the Mo¡¯laf¡¯s?¡±


    The elf raised his eyebrow but sighed dejectedly,


    ¡®The Mo¡¯laf¡¯s were the local hunters and they are consistent customers at the blacksmiths around here. In constant need of knives and daggers to skin their prey.¡¯


    ¡°Fine, as long as you don¡¯t come back with your atrocious haggling!¡±


    As he exclaimed, the elf knelt below the countertop and took out three short throwing knives and one dagger.


    ¡°Here you go.¡±


    I took the weapons with haste and turned to leave.


    Finished with my tasks I wasted no time in leaving the city. I wouldn¡¯t want the boy waiting for much longer. It would take us a couple of days to reach his grandparents¡¯ house during which I planned on seeing how much his parents had taught him, perhaps even learn a thing or two myself.


    The wall was lacking and the security even more so. The guards didn¡¯t even check our names or purpose, just confirmed that our faces weren¡¯t on one of the wanted posters and let us pass through.


    I thought I knew the direction but after only an hour the kid spoke up,


    ¡°Uh...sir¡­why are we going in this direction?¡±


    I turned towards the boy and sprouted a kind smile,


    ¡°To go to your grandparents of course.¡±


    He tilted his head to the side,


    ¡°But their house is in that direction.¡±


    As he said that he pointed a bit to our left with one arm, the other tightly holding on to the teddy bear.


    ¡°Oh... of course, I just forgot.¡±


    I hastily turned around and went in the direction he pointed. Despite his outward appearance, he was at least fifteen years old and had visited the place several times.


    ¡®But still, when I spoke to him earlier I swear he said it was a bit west of where we are headed.¡¯


    Regardless, I trusted him and so we walked through the trees until dusk has dawned upon us. At which point, I asked him to place some traps so we can get an easy lunch the following day. As he did so, I gathered some firewood and returned.


    After the fire got going I roasted some of the meat I got from the butcher and shared it. Neither one of us spoke a word as we enjoyed the meal and the peaceful silence below the starry sky.


    ********


    Something bright shone upon my eyes and I got up while stretching my arms. The boy was already up and watching the final embers of the fire die out.


    ¡°Good morning.¡±


    I tried to get him to speak some more.


    ¡°Morning.¡±


    A distant reply came.


    ¡°How do you feel? Did you catch anything?¡±


    The boy got up and handed me a pair of bonis,


    ¡°That¡¯s all that got trapped, I¡¯m sorr-¡°


    ¡°That¡¯s perfect! Now we don¡¯t have to worry about hunting later on and can just go straight home! Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll be there before sunset.¡±


    I put on a cheery atmosphere as soon as I saw the glum look on his face. I didn¡¯t want him to apologize, he went through enough as it is.


    ¡®Why am I trying so hard to consolidate this child?¡¯


    A wry smile formed on the child¡¯s lips. He turned and started to pack his things, I followed suit and we were back to travelling within minutes.


    ¡®Perhaps it¡¯s because he reminds me of myself at his age¡­powerless.¡¯


    ¡°Come on now, we should take a break and have lunch.¡±


    I slowed my pace down so that negotiations would be in my advantage. We walked for several hours without stopping, pushing the child too far is meaningless.


    ¡°No, I can still keep going. It¡¯s too early, not hungry.¡±


    The boy kept going, but I found out he is more talkative when frustrated.


    ¡°Well you can go on ahead. But I, am going to enjoy a nice lunch break.¡±


    To drive my point home, I dropped my gear and started getting more firewood for another fire. Having done this countless times, it didn¡¯t take long and before he even knew it, a mouthwatering aroma filled the air.


    Yet he still persevered and stood there looking down on me.


    ¡°Come on, why not have a bite yourself? You wouldn¡¯t want to waste anything now, would you?¡±


    Since he comes from a hunter¡¯s family, they pay their utmost respect to the animals and wasting food is akin to a taboo act.


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    With a clenched jaw, he plopped himself down next to me. Good, at least he¡¯s starting to show emotion ¨C a huge improvement over what he was just a day ago. Still, he forced the food down as fast as he could and we were back on the road in no time.


    ¡°H-hey, is that smoke?¡±


    The boy looked up ahead, indeed there was smoke coming from¡­where his grandparents should be!


    ¡°Sorry about this but we have no time.¡±


    I turned towards the boy and threw him over my shoulder.


    ¡°Hey, what are you-!¡±


    His voice was cut off as I flared my legs with essence and took off at a pace twenty times faster what we were going at before. The sudden speed put an end to his outburst. It took me ten minutes to get to the source of the smoke.


    ¡®Wait a second, this building¡­it¡¯s familiar¡­¡¯


    I couldn¡¯t quite put it, but the remaining flames coming from the house were in the same spot as-


    The air in front of the house shimmered as the boy rushed in.


    ********


    ¡°Hey wait!¡±


    The boy ran towards the house but as soon as he got past the shimmer, it stopped.


    ¡®Wait a second, why is this house on fire? And why am I here?¡¯


    ¡®My head¡­ What¡¯s going on¡­?¡¯¡¯


    ¡°Hello! Is anyone inside?¡±


    I shouted inside the building, maybe there was someone left. I took a few steps closer and heard the distant sobbing of a child.


    ¡®Oh god, was a child trapped inside!?¡¯


    I rushed forward into the remains of the house. A few walls and pillars were all that were left standing. Everything else was turned to ash or severely burned. The sobbing grew louder, it was coming from the other side of the seared wall.


    Navigating my way around I found a child sitting while looking down towards to ash filled floor. He was crying. With one hand full of dust he rubbed his eyes while with the other, he gripped a brown stuffed toy. It was the same brown colour as his eyes and its arms were singed black by the fire.


    It¡¯s a miracle it survived the fire.

 Chapter 23 - This is Perfectly Fine

    ¡°Hey there, are you hurt?¡±


    I said in a soft tone, not wanting to frighten the child. He didn¡¯t even respond and kept crying.


    ¡°Are you alone?¡±


    After making sure he was safe, I started searching around the place in case his parents or guardians were still around.


    ¡°M-mom.¡±


    The boy uttered a single word between his trembling lips. I glanced at him as he was pointing a bit to to his side. There wasn¡¯t anything there,


    ¡®Unless there¡¯s a trap door below the carpet...¡¯


    ¡°Here, grab my hand. I will go check for you once you¡¯re safe.¡±


    I extended my hand for the child to take so that I could lead him away in case there was something he shouldn¡¯t see. Not yet.


    Without even the tiniest mutter, he took my hand and followed me away from the house.


    ¡°Just wait here, I¡¯ll go check and come back.¡±


    With that I parted with the child and went back to where he was standing. Sure enough, after pulling back the blackened carpet I discovered a trapdoor. I pulled up the folded door and ¨C


    ¡®Ugh! God, that reeks of burnt flesh.¡¯


    It was a small cellar, barely four squared meters in size. There wasn¡¯t any reasonable explanation why his mother would be here, especially during a fire ¨C you¡¯d want to escape the vicinity. Unless...


    I took out my trusted blade and held it in my right hand behind my back then proceeded to slowly return to the child.


    ¡°Di-¡±


    *hic*


    ¡°Did you find my mom?¡±


    He was looking back at me with expectant eyes, without any trace of hostility. I imbued my arms and legs with essence to close the final distance far faster than he would have been able to react to.


    ¡®If he were a normal child that is.¡¯


    Despite my tremendous speed increase, he was able to sidestep me without a problem and let out a menacing crackle.


    ¡°ThIs NoN-eLf ThInKs He CaN TaKe Me On?¡±


    The child, no, it bellowed out in a monstrous cry I could barely make out the words. It drooped its arms and smirked, revealing fangs and yellow uneven teeth. In that instance, its lungs sucked in an immense amount of air,


    ¡®Shit-¡¯


    I dropped the knife and brought my hands to plug my ears but it was too late. The horrendous screech shook my eardrums and an obnoxious amount of bloodlust oozed out of the ¡®child¡¯. I reached for my throwing knives the moment the screech came to a stop and threw two of them out at once, both aimed at vital spots. If he dodges in the wrong direction, the new wounds would severely cripple him.


    ¡°So YoU cAn StiLl MoVe!¡±


    The monster started its mischievous applause.


    ¡°ImPreSsIvE.¡±


    ¡®There is that damn shimmer again! It¡¯s doing something to my head!¡¯


    The air around me began to reflect the light in a strange manner once again.


    ********


    I looked around, a weeping child was just two meters from me, clutching a seared teddy bear at his chest. A loud crackling noise was coming from my left,


    ¡®That child, is that his house?¡¯


    An inferno engulfed the building before me. Despite being a safe distance away from it, I could still feel the flame¡¯s heat. There was no way someone could¡¯ve survived that.


    I turned towards the child,


    ¡°Are your parents in there?¡±


    ¡°J-just-¡±


    *sob*


    ¡°... my m-mom...¡±


    ¡®Good, at least his dad¡¯s not in there.¡¯


    ¡°Come, I¡¯ll help you find your dad. Do you know where he is?¡±


    I stepped closer and extended my hand for him.


    ¡°H-he went to visit my grandparents...¡±


    I knelt down, my left arm behind his back and my right holding his head. All at once, I received all of his griefs, tension and anxiety. His tears raining down my shoulder. While he was gently being patted on the head, I tried to calm him down.,


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, we¡¯ll go and find him. Where do your grandparents live?¡±


    ¡®If only there was someone to help us back then...¡¯


    *sniff*


    ¡°Opposite of us, south of the city.¡± Replied the boy with a hoarse voice.


    Letting him go, I inspected my gear. My three remaining throwing knives were chipped and flawed while my dagger was borderline useless. Dropping by at the blacksmiths in the city would do me some good.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go there together. Follow me.¡±


    I walked towards the city for the next two days with the boy in tow. We got our food by trapping the local bonis. Fluffy little critters, but damn fast with those two powerful feet of theirs. They are very fertile, meaning they reproduce fast and as such, would be worth little to the local butcher. But it would be enough to cover the cost of repairs and replacements.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s your family name?¡±


    I asked the kid as we started nearing the shabby city walls.


    ¡°...Mo¡¯laf.¡± A hesitant answer came out.


    The child was still clutching his teddy bear and kept his gaze down. One word answers became the norm once we started moving through the woods.


    ¡°And what did your family do?¡±


    ¡°Hunt.¡±


    ¡®Makes sense why their house is so far from the city. The best catches can¡¯t be found so close to civilization.¡¯


    The two of us approached the gates without a problem, the town wasn¡¯t very popular and few people passed through.


    ¡°Halt, state your business and present your ID.¡±


    I took out my adventurer¡¯s card and infused it with a blast of essence to shock the guards. Just to make sure they don¡¯t doubt its validity. A magnificent blue light emanated from the card and the shock on the guards face¡¯s didn¡¯t disappear even after they waved us through.


    ¡°Esteemed¡­ um... adventurer, you may pass.¡±


    I was a bit strapped for cash so the first place we headed for was the butcher. I had several, perfectly skinned bonis, left over. It should be enough for a decent meal at a tavern and the cost of repairs.


    In the end, I managed to only get five silvers, one for each of the bonis. And even then, it was only because the man wouldn¡¯t have to pay the tanner to skin them.


    A similar situation took place with the tanner, he gave the same amount for the hides as there was no animal to sell to the butcher afterwards.


    With the ten silvers and some coppers left over, we headed for the nearest decent-looking tavern.


    The Mud Horse it was called, fitting given the stench coming from the stable which sprouted out from the side of the inn. Regardless, we walked through and seated ourselves behind an empty table. It had a lively atmosphere, albeit being only half full. There were just enough conversations where you couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of a single one, but not enough to completely drown out your own.


    In the span of minutes a waiter came by. He wasn¡¯t dressed in any special attire, just a simple apron over his normal clothes.


    ¡°Welcome to The Mud Horse, what would you be interested in today?¡±


    The man smiled and gave a quick bow. I turned towards the child and asked if he was interested in anything but he didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°Just us each the best meal for half a silver. Here is the silver in advance.¡±


    The man took the coin and pocketed it into the black apron,


    ¡°Two Broasted Mushroom & Garlic Mutton for table five!¡±


    He shouted across the tavern for the cook to take note and left for another table. While the food was being prepared, I tried to get the boy to open up some more but to no avail. The emerald-eyed boy sat quietly while holding his teddy bear.


    ¡®If only he lost his father instead of the mother, maybe then he would be feeling a bit better¡­¡¯


    The food was served shortly afterwards and the aroma alone was enough to cause a stuffed man crave in hunger. The mushrooms were placed on top of the mutton causing it to absorb the rich juices. This mixed with the touch of garlic surrounding the meat, locking in its juices inside while stimulating one¡¯s appetite, was cooked and created with an extraordinary flavor.


    Not having a proper meal to eat while traveling for the past weeks, this truly felt like a gift from heaven.


    ¡°Mom¡¯s cooking is better.¡±


    As I was taking the last bite the boy said something under his breath. I couldn¡¯t quite make out what he said but he seemed upset.


    While he was finishing his meal, I went over the bartender¡¯s table and ordered a bit of alcohol. The man gave me a questioning look but after passing ten coppers he averted his eyes away from me and passed me a single cup.


    ¡°What? Then whose is it!?¡± A rough voice resounded across the tavern, causing all conversations to come to a halt.


    A well-built man reached for his cup sitting atop the wooden table, his burly arms bulging out of an intricate, white gown covering his chest. He threw his head back, emptied the metal cup bottom up and wiped his mouth with his hand before slamming down the cup against the tabletop he was seated at.


    The man rose from a nearby seat and after a single step, his body slanted, struggling to stay upright.


    ¡®Great, a drunkard. Just what I needed to keep a low profile.¡¯


    With one arm he steadied himself on the bartender¡¯s table and with the other grabbed the drink I ordered.


    ¡®Best if I just defuse the situation now and leave.¡¯


    ¡®Wait, hold on. This guy seems awfully familiar¡­¡¯


    ¡®If I say this then he will¡­misunderstand me? But how do I know that.¡¯


    ¡°Listen sir, I¡¯m afraid I drank too much already. Here take mine, it will be a shame to waste it.¡±


    ¡°Take yours?! Ye ¡®cusin me ¡®o stealin? In mah own house?!¡±


    The man¡¯s brows flared as he misunderstood my intention ¨C just as I thought.


    ¡®I should just take him down quietly-¡¯


    ¡°B-Bob-sir! Please calm yeself! Tis is not worth dealin¡¯ with kids!¡±


    ¡°Quiet! I''m not standin¡¯ here while them brats ¡®cuse me o¡¯somethin¡¯ I ain''t done!¡±


    The man, slammed his fist onto the polished wooden table sending woodchips flying as it cracked.


    As the chips showered the floor this scene came back to me,


    ¡®Wait¡­ I¡¯ve seen this before!¡¯


    It was like a strange case of D¨¦j¨¤ vu.


    ¡®If this repeats right then he should knock down his servants with his hand next...¡¯


    Sure enough, the servants jumped out of theirs seats to try and stop him but he just batted them aside with his massive hand. Going by my previous memory I can just take him out and run to avoid any problems.


    Following through, I knocked him out before he could even realize what happened. I rushed over to get the child. But when I grabbed his hand, his smile was amiss. Instead, lifeless eyes devoid of light stared back at me for a moment before they flickered and returned to normal.


    ¡°Who the fuck are you?¡±


    I retreated several steps back and brought out my dagger, ready to attack him at a moment¡¯s notice.


    One of the people in the inn noticed my killing intent and stepped forward to intervene,


    ¡°Woah, let¡¯s not get hasty here. He is but a chi-¡±


    I didn¡¯t have time to listen to some random stranger and silenced him with a quick blow to his sternum.


    The air around the child started to shimmer once more ¨C a shimmer I¡¯ve seen numerous times already. I infused my dagger with as much essence as it could hold and slashed at the air.


    To my surprise there was a faint amount of resistance and the shimmering stopped.


    ¡®I can¡¯t trust my memories anymore, I have to confirm it on my own.¡¯


    Pouring an excessive amount of essence into my body, I raced forward out of the inn, onto the rooftops and out of the town in the span of a minute. No one followed me. After an hour¡¯s sprint, I took a break to confirm that I haven¡¯t been followed and took a breather.


    Feeling rested enough, I took off once more and after two more hours arrived where I thought the house would be located the first time I remembered the boy leading me.


    At the time he corrected me to go slightly west, but this time I followed my earlier intuition and found burnt remains of a house similar to the other two. A child¡¯s cry can be heard and I went onto the defensive, wary of the situation.


    The cry rapidly grew in volume and as it did so, it turned into a monstrous laugh. It emerged from the ruins with a teddy bear and void-black eyes. Its eye sockets became dark as the skin on its face grew paler every second. As white as processed paper, the skin started to slide off its ¡®face¡¯, revealing the true monster within.


    I heard a soft thud behind me and instinctively leapt to the side to keep the two threats within my line of sight.


    There stood identical copies of the child I was in the tavern with, the one I saved and the one I treated to lunch. Both of the latter two had eyes that were devoid of life, no, they were completely filled with an empty black. As they opened their mouths in sync, without their lips moving, an empty bottomless void was revealed inside,


    ¡°The test has failed.¡±

 Chapter 24 - A Calm

    ¡°...made it and sent it all the way to Mars?¡±


    I asked Eagle who was crouched over the rover, inspecting it.


    ¡°I have no idea, however it seems to still be functional. My guess is that it¡¯s in a sleep or shutdown state as it isn¡¯t able to power itself off the sun¡¯s energy - although I don¡¯t see any solar panels.¡±


    ¡®I¡¯ll just leave it to him to figure out and for now focus on getting us out of here¡­¡¯


    By this point, I was close enough to start looking at the rover itself,


    ¡°But we can get out of here now right?¡±


    and started walking around it, looking for something that would catch my attention. It was just small enough to fit in a one metre-cubed box with three wheels on each side. It was featureless other than two spindly arms and head protruding from the rectangular body. The surface was made of a dark, metallic material that glinted at odd light angles. Must have been what caused them to think it was a rare artifact. Eagle finished screwing in the last metal panel in place with the help of his dagger.


    ¡°Don¡¯t see why not, but we should wait for a dismissal from the queen instead of leaving by our own accord.¡±


    ¡®There¡¯s no need to bow my head before a royal when there are three others¡­¡¯


    I began walking towards the exit to stir the queen to say something, knowing that she won¡¯t let us leave without some sort of statement, threat or request considering we have their artifact.


    ¡°Eagle and Cato,¡±


    As expected, the queen called out to us when it seemed like we were about to leave. I turned alongside Eagle towards her despite not understanding what she was about to say.


    ¡°.kcul you hsiw and swen taerg tiawa I .ssergorp your in detseretni ylhgih ma I that wonk and terces a tcafitra eht peek ot rewop your in gnihtyreve do you taht ask I ,ymedaca lartnec eht to yenruoj keew-three your otno traped you erofeB¡±


    With an unwavering expression, I waited for Eagle to respond.


    ¡°.su fo detcepxe gnihtyreve od ot esimorp dna sehsiw dna tfig suoicarg your for you knaht We¡±


    A courteous smile graced the queen¡¯s lips, albeit a fake and well-practised one.


    ¡°.navarac eht fo tser eht to you ekat will egairrac a where eltsac eht of tnorf eht to detrocse be llahs You .lleweraf you dib and ecnarussa your yb desaelp am I¡±


    The queen finished with a wave of her hand which I took as the cue to take our leave and headed out. Eagle picked up the rover using one hand with ease.


    ¡°We are just flying through my bucket list!¡±


    Eagle exclaimed as we walked through the domineering double-doors where another elf dressed in a golden-trimmed, white robe bowed to greet us and gestured for us to follow him.


    ¡°First we, well I, got magical powers, then joined an adventurer¡¯s guild, met not just any royalty, but a queen in flesh and will attend the top academy! And all of this in less than two months!¡±


    I did not share his enthusiasm of the outcome, so far nothing we have done was of our freewill. We were forced to do as others told us, bent to their whims.


    ¡°And don¡¯t even get me started on the fact that we know have a method of communicating with Earth - this will completely blow up the astrological field! With the information that there are species out there besides just ours¡­¡±


    Eagle paused and turned towards me, another one of his dangerous glints flashed across his eyes. Those were the eyes of when he plots the unbelievable, to achieve the impossible.


    Just like back during that one mission with Asher and the others where we were trapped in a five story building, surrounded and outnumbered fifteen to one.


    ¡®He¡¯s got a head where it matters, only when it matters sadly.¡¯


    The walls lining the castle¡¯s interior were as encompassing and domineering as could be. Grand, speckless and made from the most polished marble which reflected everything that shone on it. Jewel-encrusted ornaments made of pure, refined gold and silver decorated the walls alongside the occasional portrait or two.


    Countless maids and butlers walked past but despite their position, carried an air of arrogance and superiority - looking in our direction with suspicion. It took almost ten minutes to reach the front gates in front of which was a smooth, cobblestone roundabout where two carriages stood.


    A sole guard protected the one we arrived in and six stood in front of the new one. Both of them had a similar design of a silver coloured chassis and golden streaks dancing around the edges, creating a random but methodical design.


    [Cato!]


    [Cato!]


    The twins bounded across the gardens to meet us, their tails wagging behind them. All of the guards tensed up at the sudden commotion and paid close attention to us, while thinking we paid them no mind as we were mere children.


    ¡°Hey, how¡¯ve you been?¡±


    I asked them and started scratching each of them behind the ear. They closed their eyes and tilted their heads,


    [Garden¡¯s is nice-]


    [Too small!]


    [Outside!]


    The two of them shouted the last part in unison.


    ¡°You guys remembered to make sure Eagle can hear you as well, right?¡±


    The siblings looked at Eagle for a brief moment,


    [Sorry.] [Sorry.]


    ¡°Anyways, we are getting into the carriage now.¡±


    Eagle opened the door and was climbing inside.


    [Don¡¯t want.]


    [Too small!]


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s just for a little while. Afterwards we will be going through many forests where you can run around.¡±


    [Ookaayy.]


    [Yayy!.]


    They both replied and followed me inside. Eagle had already let loose on the rover and started to disassemble it.


    ¡°To make sure we¡¯re on the same page, we¡¯re going to be taken to a caravan of other people which is going to travel in the same direction as us. The trip to the academy is going to take a few weeks, right?¡±


    Eagle¡¯s attention was focused only on the rover. He had removed the panels from before and was now messing with the circuitry.


    ¡°Sounds about right. Speaking of which, your knowledge of the language sucks so we¡¯re going to work on it.¡±


    As he said that, he paused his tinkering and pulled out a small notepad from his pocket. I took it and started flipping through the pages. Words written in blue ink were sprawled all over, leaving no empty space.


    The pages were split into three columns, the first listed an English word, the second had what I assumed was the translated equivalent and in the third was the pronunciation made up of English letters. This went on for the entirety of the note pad, each page had both sides completely scribbled all over.


    ¡°So this was what you did while I was out cold?¡±


    I asked Eagled and flipped back to the first page where what looked like an alphabet was.


    ¡°Yup, for starters you¡¯ll have to memorise the entire alphabet before we get to the caravan. So...about 30 minutes?¡±


    Even before he said that I was already going over all of the different characters, imprinting their shape and form to memory. Underneath each was the english equivalent for their sounds.


    ¡°Right, and by the time we get to the academy you¡¯ll expect me to hold a fluent conversation.¡±


    I responded and looked over the cubs. One of them took the comfier seat lining the other side of the carriage, while the other resided on the floor right next to it. The carriage jerked forward and started moving, the clitter-clatter of the horse¡¯s hooves could be heard even from inside.


    ¡°Of course not, even I took just over a month to get that far, and that¡¯s with the knowledge of a dozen languages. You only know English properly, and several others just enough to hold a conversation. The goal will be to memorize everything in the notepad by the end of the first week, simple sentence formation for the next week and casual conversation by the third.¡±


    As Eagle said that, he took off several more side panels and placed them on the seat next to me. At this point the rover was stripped naked, all of the wiring, electronics and other components inside the chassis exposed. Two solar panels were taking up the remaining empty space on the floor as they were connected by wires to the main body and couldn¡¯t be brought far without disconnecting them.


    I brought my attention back on the letters, by some odd stroke of luck, they all resembled English letters. Well most of them anyway.


    ¡®Thank god these aren¡¯t like the loopy writings the Russians use, or the weird curvy-arabian styled ones.¡¯


    As the carriage was pulled forward, the sounds and shapes were ingrained into my memory. One of the important aspects that was trained to death back in the Organisation was memory retention. Memorizing facts, plans, pictures, information at a glance and being able to recall it perfectly. I could have taken one glance at the first page and learned the alphabet from memory if needed be. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    However, that would dedicate too much of my brain just to recall the information, slowing my progress. Which was why by the time our carriage arrived, only all of the basic letter sounds and the way they look were memorized.


    Seeing as how we came to a stop and I accomplished my goal, getting to know who you¡¯re traveling with


    ¡®Always better to know who you are travelling with, especially in this case as we are just kids - very few questions will be aimed at us.¡¯


    ¡°Come on Eagle, time to meet our neighbours-¡±


    Eagle turned towards me with the most distraught look. His eyes were scrounged up, his bottom lip all curled up. The entire ride he was messing around with the rover and for the last minute or so took out his laptop out as well.


    ¡°You can continue to mess around with it afterwards, let¡¯s go.¡±


    [We coming too!]


    The twins shouted across my mind as I faced the door. They barged through it as soon as the handle clicked open and disappeared from view. From the surroundings and the carriage¡¯s speed we must be somewhere in the middle section of the city. A bit past the nobility but a bit before those of the merchant and knight status.


    As Eagle and I traversed around we made mental notes of the different carriages present and the number of guards around. In the end, our group was made up of about fifty merchants and several dozen mercenaries that would guard everyone during the trip.


    About half of them were standing around a wooden board stuck in the ground in front of a red tent with a golden trim. Eagle did his job as the translator and explained that it was the outlined path everyone will take. It didn¡¯t make much sense why people with different destinations would take such long detours. So we decided to ask around and figure out how things work.


    While Eagle did all the talking and investigative stuff, I stayed not too far behind, memorizing the long-ass list of words in his notepad. After talking to some of the merc¡¯s and merchants it appeared as though the adventurers guild would host runs from various cities to other cities.


    The adventurers would carry scrolls with information or valuable supplies to other guild buildings in exchange for a small reward. However, a merchant or group of merchants would often place a request for an escort mission that would coincide with the timing that the adventurers tasked with fetch would leave.


    Should they accept, then they would form a large enough group to protect the caravan in return for an even greater profit from the run. All of the traders would then pay a fee to the merchant who hosted the run in exchange for protection.


    Once everything is figured out, a list of all the cities required to be visited would be created and the logistics left up to the mercenaries to figure out. In the end it was a messy process at best, and downright nightmare at worst.


    The idea itself was similar to public transportation, all they needed to do was make these runs at set dates and times that would match up with other towns, so that there is a constant flow of people and guards.


    Me and Eagle weren¡¯t sure if anyone had thought of this, or there were unseen issues with this idea. Regardless, we decided to hold off on proposing it to the adventurer¡¯s guild and save it as a bargaining chip in the future. The last issue was the final carriage protected by the aforementioned six guards.


    Not the mercenaries around the caravan, but the same six that were in front of the palace. The carriage had a design identical to the one back then and its protectors didn¡¯t allow anyone to come within several meters.


    ¡®Were we traveling with a stuck-up noble?¡¯


    ¡®Fucking hope not.¡¯


    The last matter before we went back inside was to get the twins with us.


    ¡®Speaking of them, I wonder where they went... haven¡¯t seen them since they took off earlier.¡¯


    I did a three-sixty to look around but had no clue where to start looking.


    [We here!]


    [Behind!]


    Cheerful as ever, their voices rang across my mind. I inwardly smiled and turned to face them. There they were, two adorable pups two-thirds my size, seated with their tails wagging behind them.


    ¡°How did you know to come back?¡±


    I asked, ¡®perhaps it was amazing timing, or they¡¯re able to read my mind¡­?¡¯


    [We can!] [I can!]


    The two of them responded immediately.


    ¡®Hold on, you guys can just read my mind?!¡¯


    [I said, yes.] [Yup.]


    ¡®Holy shit, that¡¯s amazing. Can you read anyone¡¯s mind as well?¡¯


    They shook their heads,


    [We try,]


    [But it stops.]


    [Mhm, others no like.]


    They were finishing each other¡¯s sentences, so their communication must be telepathic for the most part. I must have attracted quite a few gazes as I stood in one spot, looking at the cubs.


    ¡®What do you mean they don¡¯t like? Can they tell you are reading their minds?¡¯


    [Don¡¯t know,]


    [We read for a bit then,]


    [Something stops us,]


    [Then they look around]


    [With scary face.]


    As much as I wanted to find out more, their attentions were drifting. I looked over at Eagle who gave me an affirmation to signify that he heard what they said.


    ¡®Alright then, since you can read my or Eagle¡¯s mind, I will ask that you don¡¯t unless it''s an emergency or I tell you otherwise. Okay?¡¯


    Both of them gave a soft bark in response and walked up to me. I looked towards Eagle who was likewise standing beside me and processing the information he just heard - no doubt already forming some sort of hypothesis.


    ¡°Anyway Eagle, can you put the rover back together and get some response from whoever is on the other side?¡±


    No longer being the center of attention, the twins broke out into a small-scale playfight.


    ¡°Sure, it will take me about ten minutes but afterwards we should be fine. No promises on how good the communication will be because if they didn¡¯t put in a microphone and speaker, and I doubt they did, it will be tough.¡±


    Eagle answered with a nod and waited for me to respond.


    ¡°Better than nothing, call me over once it¡¯s ready.¡±


    ¡°Will do.¡±


    With that, Eagle went towards the carriage while I looked down at the twins.


    ¡®Now what should I do with you two¡­¡¯


    Considering that the trip outside of the city will take a while, tiring them out will be for the best. It¡¯s also been a while since I had any reflex or avoidance practise. The two stopped messing around and looked at me expectantly.


    The blue and green striped balls of fur must have read my mind again.


    ¡®What did I just tell you?¡¯


    [We¡¯re sorry.] [Sorry!]


    ¡°Anyway, until Eagle calls us in, you two have a single job. You have to try and touch me with your nose. It¡¯s simple, just start as close to me as you can, and everytime you touch me, you have to start from a farther distance.¡±


    [Can¡¯t you run?]


    [Yeah! That cheating!]


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will try to remain in one spot. I might take a roll or leap to the side, but will go back immediately. The first one to touch me six times wins, the first touch doesn¡¯t count for each of you. Also, no mind-reading.¡±


    This should teach them how to engage an enemy as it is rare to start from point-blank range. Granted I never taught others and have no experience dealing with animals so this is a hastily modified game, but it should work. Not only would catching meals become easier, but defending themselves in the wild should as well.


    Perhaps it was their instinct kicking in, or just general common sense, but they started on opposite sides of me. Both of them reached out with their paw and touched me, no point in trying to dodge that - they were right next to me.


    ¡°One more thing, if you miss, you have to go back to where you started, and once you¡¯ve started there will be no stopping mid-run. Come at me with all you¡¯ve got!¡±


    This might seem like a silly or pointless game, but there is so much involved in it. The person dodging has to pay to multiple sources of movement at the same time and being able to not only avoid, but anticipate their movements. Along with that is the obvious increase in reflexes, agility and so on.


    The biggest advantage is for the attackers. Since they¡¯re in direct competition, they cannot co-ordinate in order to get me into a situation where I can¡¯t dodge. Instead, they have to plan their moves in such a way that the opponent would mess up or force me to act that they themselves can capitalize on it.


    The power in their hind legs gave them enough momentum to immediately get me even after two steps, they were simply too fast. However, by the time they were four paces away, the real challenge started.


    At that distance I had enough time to dodge their leap without a problem. They tried it several times before realizing that simply charging at me won¡¯t work. At that point it became a game of stalking. Making slow circles around me.


    I always kept them in my sights, never one behind. Little known fact, keeping enemies within your line of sight helps staying alive.(it) After a minute of fruitless turning on the spot, waiting for them to attack, I grew somewhat bored.


    ¡°If none of you get me six times before Eagle calls us then I win, which means I will be better than both of you.¡±


    Low growls came from them as they responded to my provocation. But other than that there was little reaction.


    ¡®Right, they won¡¯t care who is better a whole lot¡­¡¯


    ¡°How about this, the one who wins gets belly rubs and can sit next to me on the ride out of the city?¡±


    [Belly¡­]


    [Rubs...?]


    [What is that] [Is like ear-scratches?]


    ¡°Oh hoh,¡±


    I paused for a dramatic flair,


    ¡°It¡¯s a hundred times better.¡±


    ¡®Or so I¡¯ve heard people say¡­¡¯


    This time a glint of excitement flashed across the eyes. A bit of rivalry won¡¯t hurt. The blue-coloured one charged forward and the other followed suit.


    I expected them to do another simple charge but was surprised at how quickly they learned. They changed their direction and leapt at an angle to me only to come at me from a closer distance. It would have worked if they did not mirror each other movement¡¯s allowing me to sidestep them both.


    From that point it became a flurry of movement. As soon as they missed, they would walk to the distance they were at before and rushed at me again. Each time not only changing their approach, but baiting out the other. They realized that if they wanted to get me, then they needed to fake out the other and have me dodge their attack.


    ¡®It took me a while to figure this out back then, meanwhile Asher figured it out in a matter of minutes and played me to his advantage.¡¯


    I let out a breath of air. The cubs were still circling around me and I took the time to reminisce about practising with Asher.


    ¡®How I miss those days¡­¡¯


    If not for my flexibility and essence, this would have been over the moment they figured out the trick. Not only was I forced to constantly roll out of the way, but use impromptu martial-arts to bait or redirect their attempts at jumping on me. The easiest way so far was the basic move taught in aikido, where you would take hold of your attacker and throw them in the direction of their own attack, using their momentum, while placing yourself behind them.


    It worked for a while in the beginning when they attacked from opposite sides as I would redirect one and turned towards the other. Preventing any form of follow-up. The problem was that these were executed at a blistering speed, to the point that anyone not using essence would have no chance to see anything but slow circling of the pups followed by blurs as they charged.


    Both of them managed to get me from four and five paces after five minutes, but the last one gave them trouble. At that distance it would take them two leaps to get to me in a straight line, and two more if they chose to take an indirect path. However, that gave me more time to react to them and see what they were planning.


    ¡°Cato!¡±


    Eagle came in a hurry. It was less training than expected, but no harm done.


    ¡°Time¡¯s up!¡±


    I shouted with a bit too much energy to the cubs as they collapsed onto the ground. Eagle jerked his head back and lowered his eyebrows for a second at my exclamation.


    [You¡¯re too fast.]


    [No, you like slime.]


    [Right! Always slipping between.]


    The two complained while panting on the ground.


    "Were you playing agame?"


    Eagle stared at me slack-jawed.


    "No, don''t even answer that. Cato, organisation''s personal devil playing a game with a cubs. Wait, what kind of game involves having cubs trying to jump you?"


    I regained my posture and wiped any emotion from my face.


    "Have you evenplayeda game before?"


    Ignoring all of that, I changed to subject.


    ¡°Did you get it to work?¡±


    Eagle nodded his head, his eyes wide open.


    ¡°The messed up part, well not counting you having fun,is that I know that voice. You¡¯d never guess-¡±


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    I cut him off, not wanting to play this game again.


    ¡°It¡¯s the main intelligence headquarters from the Organisation, our, Organisation.¡±

 Chapter ????

    Well, I''m back with more info and don''t worry, the next time you get a notification from this story it will be a legit chapter. The reason I''m here is, for those that are still interested, to check out that story I mentioned previously (the one I am using to try something different and [hopefully] improve).


    That being said, I feel like there is enough content for you guys to give the other story a shot and leave some reviews or what not.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    I will be sticking with that story for the foreseeable future, but as soon as I am done with it, I am coming back to Cato.


    My word may not have a lot of weight left for you, but take it as is and do as you like!


    New Story: Single Creation -https://royalroadl.com/fiction/12910/single-creation